India, US launch defence cooperation acceleration ecosystem INDUS X

Posted On: 22 JUN 2023 9:09AM by PIB Delhi

India and the United States on Wednesday launched the Indo-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) at an event in Washington DC3. The event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), an arm of Indi’s ministry of defence, and US Department of Defence and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

Anurag Bajpai, joint secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event. Indian and US government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders participated in the two-day event. 

In his welcome remarks, Anurag Bajpai, hailed “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations”, adding that the launch of iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) is a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington.

Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address while  

Speaking at the opening session, Frank Kendall, US secretary of the Air Force, said India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in space and artificial intelligence (AI) domain.

Bajpai stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He called upon the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. He also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focusing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”.

The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing of innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. Fifteen Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups, from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space, showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders. The exhibition was visited by senior US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) and as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD.

The event saw two panel discussions and two roundtables on deepening collaborations across various domains, including government, academia, and industry especially startups. Discussion on export control regulations were also held.