The Indian Navy is set to host the third edition of its prestigious Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) Seminar, Swavlamban 2024, at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, on 28-29 October 2024. The theme for this year's event is "Strength and Power through Innovation and Indigenisation" (नवाचार एवं स्वदेशीकरण से सशक्तिकरण), focusing on furthering India’s self-reliance in defense technology.
Over the course of the previous two editions, the Indian Navy has received over 2,000 proposals from the Indian industry, converting these into 155 specific challenges to facilitate the development of prototypes. This initiative has led to successful collaborations with more than 200 MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and startups under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) scheme, boosting India's indigenous innovation ecosystem.
Swavlamban 2024 aims to build on the momentum gained in previous years, offering new opportunities to showcase advancements in defense technology. Products in niche areas such as air and surface surveillance systems, autonomous systems for surface, aerial, and underwater operations, as well as cutting-edge technologies in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, will be on display.
The two-day seminar will also feature domain-specific interactive sessions on 29 October 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, where key stakeholders including policy makers, innovators, startups, MSMEs, financial institutions, and venture capitalists will gather. These sessions will focus on critical topics such as emerging technologies, future warfare, indigenisation, fostering an innovation ecosystem, and cultivating an innovative culture within the defense sector.
This event is expected to provide a platform for open discussions and collaborations, driving the Indian Navy’s commitment to becoming a technologically self-reliant force while contributing to the larger goal of defense indigenisation in India.(PR)