MoD Holds Talks With Over 50 Start-Ups, MSMEs To Address Challenges And Speed Up Innovation In Defence Sector

In an effort to accelerate technological innovation in India’s defence sector, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) met with representatives from over 50 start-ups and MSMEs at South Block in New Delhi on 24 and 25 March.

The two-day discussions, led by secretary (defence production) Sanjeev Kumar, aimed to address key challenges faced by these ventures, identify opportunities for collaboration, and support the scaling of innovation within defence and related industries.

The majority of the start-ups and MSMEs in attendance have been engaged with the ministry’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, which seeks to promote cutting-edge defence technologies developed by the private sector.

The two-day sessions focused on a range of critical technology areas, including Space Technologies, Quantum Technologies, Electronic Warfare, Drones, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Radar Technologies, Cyber Security, and Advanced Materials.

While these technologies are viewed as essential to modernising India’s defence capabilities, they also hold promise for applications in the broader civil sector.

The discussions underscored the growing role of private innovation in India’s defence strategy, as the government seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers and boost domestic defence manufacturing.

However, challenges remain as start-ups often face barriers to accessing funding, navigating complex regulatory frameworks, and gaining traction in an industry dominated by established players.

Thanking the participants for their valuable insights, Secretary (Defence Production) stated that sessions would help the ministry in understanding the perspective of the industry, particularly new technology start-ups, the MoD said in a statement.

He added that the initiative would help the ministry in fine-tuning the policies and procedures, leading to wider participation of start-ups working in deep tech.

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