Rajnath Singh Launches ADITI Scheme for Defence Tech Innovations
Officials announced that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had inaugurated the ADITI scheme, aimed at fostering innovations in crucial and strategic defence technologies. According to the defence ministry, start-ups can avail of grants of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development, and innovation efforts in defence technology under this scheme. The launch of the scheme took place at the DefConnect 2024 event, with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and other dignitaries in attendance.
"The scheme will nurture the innovation of youth and help the country leap forward in the field of technology", Singh was quoted as saying in the statement. He addressed a gathering of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and policymakers during the event. The ministry later issued a video on the scheme that was shared by its spokesperson on X. "There has been a change in the mindset in the armed forces that we should induct indigenized products. This mindset change is important and the processes, both are important", the CDS said in the video.
The iDEX (Innovations For Defence Excellence) scheme, developed by the Department of Defence within the ministry, is recognized for its thoughtful design. General Chauhan discussed the introduction of the ADITI scheme, which enables start-ups to qualify for grants of up to Rs 25 crore. "That I feel is a big step. It shows the government's intent as to how far we are ready to go. It shows the intent of services, how big projects they will bring and innovators are also connected to it", he said.
The new scheme is a huge step in the direction to "connect the mindset of MoD, services and innovators", the CDS added. The iDEX initiative was launched in April 2018. It aims to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation and technology development in defence and aerospace by engaging industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
General Chauhan further said, "We were thinking of bringing out the sixth Positive Indigenisation List. We should also constantly review the five Positive Indigenisation Lists and whether the timeframe laid out in them have been achieved or not". The fifth Positive Indigenisation List has been prepared by the Department of Military Affairs after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders.
The scheme places particular emphasis on replacing imported components of significant systems, including crucial platforms, weapon systems, sensors, and munitions. These systems are currently under development and are expected to result in substantial orders over the next five to ten years, as stated by the ministry. With a budget of Rs 750 crore allocated for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26, the ADITI scheme operates within the iDEX framework of the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence.
The scheme also aims to establish a 'Technology Watch Tool' to address the disparity between the modern armed forces' expectations and needs and the capabilities of the defence innovation ecosystem. In the inaugural edition of ADITI, 17 challenges were initiated and distributed among the Indian Army (three), Indian Navy (five), Indian Air Force (five), and Defence Space Agency (four). Singh emphasized the steadfast commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to inspire young people to present innovative ideas.
He emphasized the expansion of iDEX to iDEX Prime, with support increasing from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore, aimed at incentivizing young innovators. With a notable response to providing solutions to challenges posed by the services and DPSUs, the ADITI scheme has been introduced. The Defence Ministry highlighted that the underlying objective of schemes like ADITI, iDEX, and iDEX Prime is also to transition India into a knowledge-driven society.
