Monday, Aug 8, 2022
English News
  • Hyderabad
  • Telangana
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • India
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Science and Tech
  • Sport
  • Business
  • ...
    • NRI
    • View Point
    • cartoon
    • Columns
    • Reviews
    • Education Today
    • Property
    • Videos
    • Lifestyle
E-Paper
  • NRI
  • View Point
  • cartoon
  • Columns
  • Reviews
  • Education Today
  • Property
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
Home | Editorials | Editorial Defence Non Startups

Editorial: Defence non-startups

By Telangana Today
Published: Published Date - 12:02 AM, Mon - 19 July 21
Editorial: Defence non-startups
Meagre funding and bureaucratic maze make the Centre’s defence startup programme a failure Meagre funding and bureaucratic maze make the Centre’s defence startup programme a failure

Despite being a good idea, the Centre’s defence startup initiative, aimed at encouraging commercial technology projects to make defence prototypes, has failed to take off. It joins the long list of initiatives that have become victims of stifling bureaucracy. The iDEX, initiated by the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) of the Department of Defence Production (DPP), has not yielded a single prototype in the last three years. Meagre funding and the bureaucratic maze are the reasons for its failure. The government had held multiple rounds of startup challenges and selected 84 players, but nothing has taken off so far. Since the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) agreement does not guarantee procurement, the selected startups are left high and dry and have no incentive to scale up innovative ideas. Apart from inadequate funding, the frequent and sudden changes in the programme’s terms and conditions are proving to be a dampener. One of the changes to the agreement, made unilaterally by DIO in mid-2020, effectively sought greater control of the intellectual property (IP) of the selected startups. Though the programme was launched with much fanfare to find creative defence solutions for the armed forces and to foster self-reliance, it has failed to yield any meaningful defence capabilities while those who were chosen for grants have found the terms of the programme frustratingly fickle. The selected startups are given a conditional grant of up to Rs 1.5 crore. Of this, only 10% is given upfront, with the rest disbursed in instalments based on meeting milestones related to prototype development.

In a research-heavy, capital-intensive pursuit such as defence design and development, this structure is hardly ideal. There is a need to increase the size of the grant to at least Rs 5 crore. In addition, steps must be taken to make the grant more easily accessible for promising startups, small and mid-sized companies, and individual innovators. Even as startups grapple with funding challenges, they must also deal with the ever-changing demands of the armed forces. Often, startups say the armed forces went back and forth in defining the challenge to be solved. This causes a delay right at the outset. The mandate of iDEX is to oversee development of prototypes. The question whether these prototypes will be eventually inducted in the armed forces is not clear. As a result, the government’s commitment to the programme becomes doubtful. The iDEX initiative was inspired by a similar programme — Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) — launched in 2015 by the US Department of Defence. In contrast to the meagre funding in India, the DIU’s research and development budget for the year ending September 2021 was $66.9 million. Nearly half of all the startups working with DIU are given a $1-million grant.

 

  • Follow Us :
  • Tags
  • Defence
  • defence design
  • Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)
  • Defence non-startups

Related News

  • India to set up joint theatre commands of tri-services: Rajnath Singh

    India to set up joint theatre commands of tri-services: Rajnath Singh

  • Agnipath to herald new era in Indian armed forces

    Agnipath to herald new era in Indian armed forces

  • India will have its first hypersonic missile in five-six years: BrahMos Aerospace CEO

    India will have its first hypersonic missile in five-six years: BrahMos Aerospace CEO

  • India, Israel adopt ‘vision statement’ to boost defence ties

    India, Israel adopt ‘vision statement’ to boost defence ties

  • France to work closely with India on Make in India initiatives in space, defence

    France to work closely with India on Make in India initiatives in space, defence

  • 2+2 leaders discuss expanding cooperation to new areas of defence, geography

    2+2 leaders discuss expanding cooperation to new areas of defence, geography

Latest News

  • Opinion: Why too many of us love revadis

    54 mins ago
  • Editorial: Manipur imbroglio

    1 hour ago
  • CM KCR terms tribals symbol of love, untainted relations

    1 hour ago
  • Hyderabad Traffic cops start booking criminal cases against number plate violators

    1 hour ago
  • IIIT-Hyderabad set to digitise Indian classical dance forms

    2 hours ago
  • CM KCR commemorates Quit India movement

    2 hours ago
  • Preliminary test for SCT SI recruitment held

    2 hours ago
  • India shining at international level

    2 hours ago

company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

business

  • Subscribe

telangana today

  • Telangana
  • Hyderabad
  • Latest News
  • Entertainment
  • World
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Science & Tech
  • Sport

follow us

© Copyrights 2022 TELANGANA PUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD. All rights reserved. Powered by Veegam