The Indian government has introduced several important programs aimed at making India a leader in research and technology, especially in Defence and Aerospace. These initiatives focus on encouraging the creation, supporting industries and start-ups, and promoting self-reliance in defence production.
One major initiative is the Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme, run by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) through DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation). This scheme helps industries, especially small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) and start-ups, to develop new defence technologies. The government offers financial support of up to Rs. 50 crore for each project under this scheme, aiming to make India self-reliant in defence technology.
To encourage more research, DRDO has set up Industry Academia Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at top institutions like IISc Bangalore and various IITs and universities. These centers have advanced research labs and facilities to attract talented researchers. They aim to support the development of new technologies for defence and security, and encourage collaboration between start-ups, industries, and academic institutions.
The government also launched the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework to promote innovation in the defence and aerospace sectors. This program involves industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and individual innovators, and provides financial support to develop new defence technologies. In May 2021, the government increased funding for iDEX with Rs. 498.80 crore to support nearly 300 start-ups and innovators from 2021 to 2026.
Since the TDF scheme started, 79 projects worth Rs. 334.02 crore have been approved to develop defence technologies. DRDO has also set up 15 DIA-CoEs across India. In total, 264 projects worth about Rs. 930 crore have been funded through DRDO’s Grants-in-Aid scheme.
DRDO also runs the “Dare to Dream” Innovation Contest to bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-ups to present their creative ideas for defence and aerospace. The best ideas are awarded cash prizes and support to develop prototypes through the TDF scheme. The contest has been held four times so far, with the fifth edition (D2D 5.0) currently underway. So far, Rs. 543 lakh has been awarded to winners, and they are also given help to turn their ideas into real products.
These efforts were shared by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth in a reply in the Lok Sabha, highlighting the government's focus on strengthening India's defence research and technology capabilities. (PR)