INNOVATION FOR DEFENCE EXCELLENCE (IDEX)

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) launched by the Government in April 2018, primarily 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, and provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has good potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.

iDEX will is funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company under the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose, by the two founder members i.e. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) – HAL & BEL.

iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high-level policy guidance to iDEX.

Objectives of  Defence Innovation Fund are to:

Facilitate rapid development of new, indigenized, and innovative technologies for the Indian defence and aerospace sector, to meet the needs for these sectors in shorter timelines 

Create a culture of engagement with innovative startups, to encourage co-creation for defence and aerospace sectors 

Empower a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation within the defence and aerospace sectors

Functions of iDEX 

Co-Innovation/co-creation

Piloting of candidate technologies in important platforms

Indigenization of various defence and aerospace-related platforms being manufactured in the country based on ToT

The iDEX structure will need to perform all these three functions, in partnership with other competent stakeholders.iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities.