Rajnath Singh Launches ADITI 3.0 and DISC 13 at Swavlamban

The Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh in a group photograph at Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation seminar ‘Swavlamban’ at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on October 29, 2024.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the third edition of the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI 3.0) challenge and the 13th edition of the Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC 13) during the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ at Bharat Mandapam. These initiatives are designed to enhance indigenous defence technologies and improve operational efficiencies across the armed forces.

ADITI 3.0 includes a challenge from the Indian Navy focused on designing a High-Power Microwave Weapon System. DISC 13 features seven challenges, comprising three from the Indian Army and two each from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, covering critical areas such as Artificial Intelligence, military communication, and autonomous robotics.

During the ceremony, the Defence minister also honored iDEX winners and Hackathon awardees. He noted that over the past two sessions of ‘Swavlamban’, the Indian Navy received more than 2,000 proposals from industries under the SPRINT challenges, which were first unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2022. SPRINT stands for Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX, Naval Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation, and Technology Development Acceleration Cell.

Minister remarked that these proposals have transformed into 155 challenges, aiding the completion of 171 contracts. The Swavalamban initiative has collaborated with 213 MSMEs and start-ups under iDEX, with Acceptance of Necessity exceeding ₹2,000 crore in 19 cases, of which contracts worth up to ₹784 crore have been finalized.

Congratulating the winners for their innovative solutions, Rajnath Singh described their achievements as extraordinary and encouraged them to think ahead, developing products that may not be immediately necessary but could become essential for the Armed Forces in the future.

He highlighted India’s success in digital transactions, stating that the country has emerged as the world’s largest in terms of the value of digital payments. Singh also mentioned the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile Trinity, which have facilitated the transparent delivery of government schemes. “You don’t wait for the right time; you bring the right time. You’re fully capable. You must come up with new ideas through innovation,” he assured, pledging government support for these endeavours.

Singh pointed to the self-reliance efforts led by Prime Minister Modi, emphasizing that recent changes have fostered an innovative culture in India with national security in mind. “There was a time when we had become so dependent on imports for arms and equipment that innovative ideas could never take birth. Today, we also have a concrete ecosystem, and we are moving rapidly towards self-reliance,” he said, praising the Indian Navy’s commitment to innovation.

Acknowledging the contributions of both public and private sectors in realizing the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Rajnath Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to progress by bringing all stakeholders together. He noted that while the public sector has been involved in defence, there is a pressing need to enhance private sector participation in the defence industrial ecosystem.

He remarked on the government’s success in reducing import dependency and promoting collaboration between public and private sectors in defence. He highlighted the rise of startups in the country, which have crossed over one lakh, with more than 100 achieving unicorn status. “Start-ups are playing a big role in defence manufacturing. Our youth have realized that they can make the country self-reliant through innovation,” he stated.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi reaffirmed the Indian Navy’s commitment to safeguarding national maritime interests, announcing a goal to become a ‘Fully Aatmanirbhar Force’ by 2047. He shared that through collaborative efforts with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and NIIO, 173 challenges have been presented to the industry, resulting in practical solutions and positive outcomes.

“The overwhelming success of our previous two editions has inspired us to expand the scope and scale of this year’s edition through new transformational technology challenges and a Hackathon,” Tripathi added, noting the significant participation from various defence sectors.

At the event, the Defence minister also witnessed innovations and technologies developed by iDEX winners. Another highlight was the flag-off of the ‘Sagarmala Parikrama’, an autonomous passage of about 1,500 kilometers from Mumbai to Tuticorin. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Bharat Electronics Limited, 3rdiTech, and Bharat Semiconductors to enhance manufacturing capabilities for niche products like semiconductors.

Attendees included Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Defence Secretary-designate R.K. Singh, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, along with industry leaders and academics.

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