The Ministry of Defence is seeking to significantly expand its Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme following its remarkable success in fostering indigenous defence technology development. According to Indian Express, Ministry has requested an additional ₹497 crore from the Finance Ministry to sustain the program's momentum and scale its operations.
Launched in 2018, iDEX aims to provide financial support to startups, MSMEs, and individual innovators to develop cutting-edge defence and aerospace technologies. The scheme has already exceeded expectations, with 37 projects worth ₹2,370 crore approved for procurement as of August 2024. Contracts for 21 of these projects, valued at ₹800 crore, have already been signed.
This rapid progress has led to the near exhaustion of the initial ₹498.78 crore budget allocated to iDEX for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26. According to senior government officials, approximately 90% of these funds have already been committed to ongoing projects.
"The success of iDEX has encouraged its scaling up," an official stated, emphasizing the need for additional funds and resources to continue engaging with startups and innovators. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane has reportedly communicated this urgent requirement to the Finance Ministry.
The request for additional funding aligns with the recommendations of the Revised Cost Committee (RCC) in 2023. A third-party evaluation of the scheme is also currently underway and is expected to be completed within the current financial year. If approved, the total investment in iDEX will reach approximately ₹996 crore.
The iDEX program has evolved significantly since its inception. Initially, grants were capped at ₹1.5 crore per project. However, recognizing the need to support the development of more complex systems, the scheme was expanded to include iDEX Prime, which offers grants of up to ₹10 crore.
Further demonstrating the government's commitment to indigenous defence innovation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the ADITI scheme earlier this year. ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) focuses on critical and strategic defence technologies, with grants of up to ₹25 crore available to startups.
With initiatives like iDEX, ADITI, and the Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC), the Ministry of Defence is actively cultivating a vibrant defence innovation ecosystem in India. These efforts are not only bolstering the nation's defence capabilities but also contributing to its broader goals of self-reliance and technological advancement.
