India and US launch INDUS-X to boost defence ties

With a vision to build a defence innovation collaboration, India and the US have launched the India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X).

According to the experts of the two countries, it will expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation, between governments, businesses and academic institutions.

The Ministry of Defence said that the INDUS X was launched at an event in Washington DC, on Thursday. The event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

A Senior Advisor Group (SAG) will assess progress of the collaboration agenda and make recommendations to the defence establishments and other INDUS-X stakeholders for future work.

Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the INDUS X event. A reception for Indian and US government representatives, defence startups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was organised on June 20. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address.

Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, stated that the 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, in his remarks on 'Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations', hailed the launch of iCET as 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.

The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US startups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing 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 startups. 15 Indian startups and 10 US startups 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 by Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD.

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