The third edition of the INDUS-X Summit concluded in the United States, marking a progress in the advancement of a joint defence innovation ecosystem in India and the USA. Held on 9-10 September 2024, the Summit was a landmark event jointly organised by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Stanford University. During the summit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between iDEX and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) under the US Department of Defence, to increase co-operation in defence innovation and deepen collaboration to facilitate industry, research, and investment partnerships among the stakeholders. Other key highlights of the Summit included announcement of a new challenge under INDUS-X, release of the INDUS-X Impact Report and launch of the official INDUS-X webpage on the iDEX and DIU websites.
The Summit offers a platform for joint showcase of next generation technologies by startups/MSMEs. It also enables critical dialogue through Senior Advisory Group and Senior Leaders Forum, the two advisory forums under INDUS-X . The discussions focused, inter-alia, on future technology trends, capacity building of startups, funding opportunities for defence innovations and strengthening defence supply chains. Distinguished experts from defence industry, investment firms, startups, academia, think tanks, accelerators, policymakers, etc. from both nations participated.
Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion) Sh. Amit Satija who led the Indian delegation said that the third edition of INDUS-X Summit reaffirmed the commitment of both the countries in advancing defence technology through innovation and strategic collaboration. The INDUS-X initiative is being steered by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) on behalf of Ministry of Defence and Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) under the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Since the launch of INDUS-X during the Prime Minister’s State visit to the United States in June 2023, the initiative has been able to achieve significant milestones in a short span of time.