India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in Washington, USA

India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem: The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem, commonly known as INDUS X, is a collaborative initiative between India and the United States aimed at fostering innovation, technology development, and cooperation in the defense sector. Launched with great enthusiasm and anticipation, INDUS X serves as a platform to enhance bilateral defense ties and strengthen the defense industry ecosystems of both countries. India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) is also important for UPSC Prelims Exam and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- International Relations, Bilateral Relations between India and USA).

India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) in News

Recently, India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA. Shri Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event.

India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) Details

The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

• India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) event aimed to foster collaboration between Indian and US start-ups in deeptech innovations especially in the domains of Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• A reception was organized, bringing together representatives from the Indian and US governments, defense start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries, and various other stakeholders.
• The exhibition garnered attention from esteemed US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who holds significant positions on the House Armed Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems (CITI).
• Additionally, Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment at the US Department of Defense, also attended the exhibition.

Start-up collaboration at INDUS X

The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) event also featured a unique collaboration where Indian and US start-ups jointly presented their innovative technologies. A total of 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups from various domains such as maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space showcased their cutting-edge technologies to stakeholders from both countries.

Significance of INDUS X

The launch of INDUS X marks a significant milestone in the defence relations between India and the United States. This collaborative platform aims to harness the potential of Indian and US start-ups, academia, and industries to drive innovation in critical areas such as Space and AI. By fostering co-development, co-production, and deepening collaborations, INDUS X paves the way for a mutually beneficial partnership, contributing to the advancement of defence technologies and strengthening the strategic ties between the two nations.

Key Facts about IDEX Initiative

iDEX framework aims to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia and promote self-reliance.

• Background: The iDEX framework was launched by the Prime Minister in 2018 with the objective to provide the platform of co-creation & co-development in the defence sector.
• Objective: The objective of the IDEX scheme is to provide financial support to nearly 300 Startups/ MSMEs/individual innovators and about 20 Partner incubators through Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO).
• Implementation: iDEX will be funded and managed by Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).
  • iDEX will function as the executive arm of the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO).
• Funding: The Government has approved a central sector scheme for iDEX with budgetary support of Rs. 498.78 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
  • For the current financial year 2021-2022, Rs. 45 crore have been released by the Government to iDEX-DIO.
• Key Functions:
  • Create a culture of engagement with innovative startups, to encourage co-creation for defence and aerospace sectors.
  • Empower a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation within the defence and aerospace sectors.

India-US Trade Relations

• Total Bilateral Trade: the bilateral trade between the U.S. and India stood at $119.42 billion in 2021-22 as against $80.51 billion in 2020-21.
• Export to USA: Exports to the U.S. from India increased to $76.11 billion in 2021-22 from $51.62 billion in the previous fiscal year.
• Import from the USA: imports to India from the USA rose to $43.31 billion in 2021-22 from about $29 billion in the previous fiscal year.

Reasons for Growing India-US Trade Relations

• Growing Trust and Cooperation: Growing cooperation in various areas has led to increasing bilateral trade with the U.S.
  • Growing trade is expected to continue in the coming years as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in strengthening economic ties.
• Alternative to China: India is emerging as a trusted trading partner and global firms are reducing their dependence on China for their supplies and are diversifying business into other countries like India.
• Great Potential of Indian Economy: India is the fastest growing market economy with unparalleled demographic dividend and provides enormous opportunities for the U.S. and Indian firms for technology transfer, manufacturing, trade and investment.

13th India-USA Trade Policy Forum (TPF) 2023 held in Washington

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