M’wada startups urged to tap into defence sector via iDEX

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Startups in Marathwada can now explore solutions for India's defence needs through the iDEX platform, said Ranjan Sri Das, the project director of iDEX while speaking at the workshop held to inform the participants about the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 11 and Aditi Challenge in the city on Wednesday.

The workshop was held jointly by MAGIC and Marathwada Auto Cluster, along with industry bodies such as CII, CMAI, MAASIA, and Laghu Udyog Bharti. Speaking further Das said that this is a significant opportunity for young entrepreneurs and industries in Marathwada to contribute to India's defence capabilities.

With iDEX already having allocated orders worth Rs 1800 crores to startups and around 250 startups associated with the initiative, there's a clear momentum in fostering indigenous production. The workshop featured presentations from industry leaders and detailed problem statements under DISC 11. Over 100 startups, students, MSMEs, industry officials, and ex-servicemen attended the event. Magic director Prasad Kokil, Pankaj Singh from armored vehicles corporation Ltd, Rajesh Pandey from Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Sudarshan Dharurkar, Krishna Tekale and others were present.

Details on DISC 11 and Aditi challenge:

-DISC 11 offers 22 problem statements for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Armed Forces with grants of Rs 1.5 crore.

-The iDEX (Aditi) programme offers grants up to Rs 25 crore for research and development in critical defence technologies. For participation, one can visit https://idex.gov.in.