What is the U.S.-India Defense Accelerator Ecosystem (INDUS-X)?

About INDUS-X Summit:

• It was launched in 2023 during the state visit of the Prime Minister of India to the US.
• Objective: To expand strategic technology partnerships and defense industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions in India and the US. 
• INDUS X will be a defence innovation bridge, which will inter-alia, include Joint Challenges, Joint Innovation Fund, Academia engagement, Industry-startup connect, investment by private entities in defence projects, mentoring by experts and niche technology projects etc.
• It will focus on advancing high-tech cooperation and fostering joint research, development, and production opportunities in the defence sector. 
• The initiative aims to explore possibilities for co-producing jet engines, long-range artillery, and infantry vehicles.
• The INDUS-X initiative is being steered by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) under the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). 

What is Innovations for Defence Excellence?

• It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, launched in 2018.
• The objective of the scheme is to cultivate an innovation ecosystem in the Defence and Aerospace sector by collaborating with startups, innovators, MSMEs, incubators, and academia.
• iDEX offers grants and support for R&D with significant potential for future adoption in Indian defence and aerospace.
• Funding: It will be funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose, by the two founder members i.e., Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs): HAL and BEL.

Q1: What is Mission DefSpace?

It was launched by the Prime Minister during DefExpo in October 2022.The goal of Mission DefSpace is to make India Atmanirbhar in defence technologies in the space domain.

Source: Third edition of INDUS-X Summit concludes in California