Context:
The Defence Minister launched the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme.
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- The scheme has been launched during DefConnect 2024 in New Delhi.
- Scheme worth Rs 750 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 falls under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence).
- Start-ups are eligible to receive a grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore.
- The event also witnessed the launch of the 11th edition of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC).
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)
- It aims to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace.
- It was launched by the Indian Prime Minister in April 2018.
- iDEX was expanded to iDEX Prime, with the assistance increasing from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore, to motivate young innovators.
Objectives
- It aims to develop about 30 deep-tech critical and strategic technologies.
- It envisages to create a ‘Technology Watch Tool’ to bridge the gap between the expectations and the capabilities of the defence innovation ecosystem.
Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC)
- It aimed at supporting Startups/MSMEs/Innovators to create prototypes and/or commercialize products/solutions in the area of National Defence and Security.
- It has been launched by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission.
- The DISC 11 introduces 22 problem statements – Indian Army (4), Indian Navy (5), Indian Air Force (5), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (7) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (1).
Benefits of the ADITI Scheme
- It helps to enhance defence capabilities.
- It aims to encourage the youth to bring innovative ideas.
- It highlights the government’s vision of attaining self-reliance.
- Development of advanced technologies will boost defence capabilities and preparedness
- The scheme will stimulate technology innovation, manufacturing and job creation.
Challenges launched under the Scheme
- Cyber Challenge is an issue of concern.
- One of the crucial aspects of the scheme is to achieve self-reliance due to the increasing role of cutting-edge technology in warfare in today’s time.
Through strategic innovative collaborations, the ADITI scheme endeavors to tackle these gaps and challenges in advancing indigenous technologies for the modernization of our armed forces.