Fostering Innovation For Defence Excellence
Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia.
iDEX provides them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has good potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs. iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad is one of the Partner Incubators (PI) for iDEX.
iDEX engages startups via open challenges and DISC challenges. The benefits include access to funding, product co-development with the military (Army/Navy/Airforce), certification, facilitation of pilots, and finally integrating the technologies and products developed into the military applications.
The program also includes mentorship support by iTIC/IITH, access to workshops and seminars, and access to iTIC/IITH infrastructure. This support shall allow the innovators to try their ideas without any fear of failure, hence allowing them to reach a stage where they have a ready product and are willing to approach incubators for commercialization.
iDEX is a framework promulgated by the Ministry of Defence and launched by the Hon’ble PM in April 2018. iDEX aims to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation and technology development in the Defence and Aerospace industries by including MSME, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes etc.
DIO is a not for profit organisation incorporated under the Section 8 of the companies act by two founding members; HAL & BEL. iDEX framework is being implemented by DIO.
DIO-iDEX has launched the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) with problem statements from Armed Forces, DPSUs, & OFB. After rigorous evaluation of the applications, winners are identified. Winners receive innovation grants in technological areas through the prototype funding guidelines.