India’s Path to Defence Self-Reliance: Challenges and Progress in the iDEX Initiative

India’s Path to Defence Self-Reliance: Challenges and Progress in the iDEX Initiative MP-IDSA Issue Brief India's Path to Defence Self-Reliance: Challenges and Progress in the iDEX Initiative Shayesta Nishat Ahmed July 19, 2024 Summary The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework underscores India's commitment to foster a self-sustaining defence industry, and aligns with broader nationa. [...] India, however, remains the largest importer of defence equipment, accounting for approximately 9.8 per cent of global imports from 2019 to 2023.1 In recent years, India has increased plans for indigenisation and modernisation of its defence and strategic systems and sub- systems, focusing on import substitution and the development of MSMEs and SMEs through indigenisation programmes. [...] Various initiatives and reform measures have been implemented to “encourage indigenous design, development, and manufacture of defence equipment, thereby promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing and technology in the country”.2 To focus national efforts on indigenisation and R&D in defence technology, the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework was approved by the Ministry of D. [...] The technological challenges are referred to as Problem Statements (PS) and are taken up by the DISC challenges from the armed forces and DPSUs.14 During the Aero-India 2023, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the iDEX Innovators Hub (IIH) to boost investments in the defence sector, with Rs 200 crore committed by nine prominent investors to support the growth of the start-up ecosystem.15 IIH. [...] Its mission Research Fellow at the Manohar is to promote national and international Parrikar Institute for Defence security through the generation and Studies and Analyses, New dissemination of knowledge on defence and Delhi.