Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launches Defence India Startu | UPSC Current Affairs Daily

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launches Defence India Startup Challenge 5.0

Defence India Startup Challenge has been launched by the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Defence Innovation Organisation(DIO) with support from the Ministry of Defence and Atal Innovation Mission.
Aim: To support Startups/MSMEs/Innovators to create prototypes and/or commercialize products/solutions in the area of National Defence and Security.
DISC 5.0: The fifth edition of DISC will have more challenges than the first four DISC editions taken together.
This challenge is meant to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation and technology development across the defence and aerospace sectors.
This challenge was launched by Ministry in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission.
It was launched with the aim of providing support to Startups, MSMEs and Innovators to create prototypes or commercialize products and solutions in the fields of National Defence and Security.
Under the DISC, 35 problem statements were launched comprising of 13 from Services and 22 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
35 statements were launched from Armed Forces and OFB or DPSUs for the resolution by startups & innovators.
These statements are areas like situational awareness, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, non-lethal devices, aircraft-trainer, 5G network, Drone SWARMS, underwater domain awareness, and data capturing.
iDEX initiative
iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) initiative is to achieve self-reliance and promote the development of innovation & technology in India’s Defence and Aerospace sectors. PM Modi had launched iDEX in April 2018.
iDEX has been successful at bridging the gap between talent and demand in the country while offering a strong foundation of R&D, and innovation to the industry.
iDEX will be supporting 5 times more startups over the next 5 years to complete procurement procedures in a timely manner, accelerate progress, and reduce costs.
iDEX4fauji is another similar initiative that offers opportunities to service personnel to showcase their talent in the fields of Defence innovation and technology.

SOURCE: PIB