SIIC IIT Kanpur with iDEX to mentor entrepreneurs and MSMEs in defence segment

The partnership will help mentor entrepreneurs and MSMEs to create, deploy and commercialize technologies and products for the Indian military and defence PSUs

Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur has partnered with iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) to scout and mentor entrepreneurs and MSMEs to create, deploy and commercialize technologies and products for the Indian military and defence PSUs. Under this partnership, SIIC IIT Kanpur will run programs such as accelerators, long-duration incubation, piloting, prototype investments, etc. jointly with iDEX.

The iDEX program was launched by Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) as an effort to attain self-reliance in the field of defence and defence production.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “IIT Kanpur has been forging relentless collaborations with the defence sector be it for academic collaboration, new innovation or drone-based initiatives. In today’s fast-moving world, we believe that multi-stakeholder collaboration is key and we have the vision to contribute in making India self-reliant across sectors. I believe this new partnership between SIIC IIT Kanpur and iDEX would leverage the institute’s dynamic innovation ecosystem and strength in aerospace engineering, material science engineering, electro-mechanical systems and design for true actualization of the program’s vision.”

The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework was formulated and approved by the Ministry of Defence in order “to operationalize and institutionalize the effort to reach out and engage the smaller enterprises, startups and innovators, which have the competence, flexibility and adaptability to supply the Indian military with innovative and ingenious technological solutions.”

With these primary objectives of iDEX, SIIC IIT Kanpur and other incubators will help iDEX in working towards guiding startups and MSMEs in the product development segment of India’s defence sector and making India self-reliant.

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