Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

Subject : Defence

Context : Recently, the Ministry of Defence has approved the budgetary support of Rs 498.8 crore to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) – Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next five years.

Concept :

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

• It was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in April 2018.
• It will be funded and managed by a Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).
• It will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
• It aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace.

The objectives of iDEX are:

• Facilitate rapid development of new, indigenized, and innovative technologies for the Indian defence and aerospace sector, to meet needs for these sectors in shorter timelines;
• Create a culture of engagement with innovative startups, to encourage co-creation for defence and aerospace sectors; and
• Empower a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation within the defence and aerospace sectors

Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

• It is formed as a “not for profit‟ company as per Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
• Its primary objective is to fund and manage the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).
• It will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
• The CEO of iDEX will be selected and recruited by the DIO and will be a professional person of sound technical, scientific and engineering background.
• The CEO of iDEX would also be CEO of DIO thereby providing the linkage between the high level policy guidance given by DIO and its implementation in a professional manner through iDEX.