Rajnath Singh launches Defence India Startup Challenge-4

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the Project Management Approach (PMA) guidelines for iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) while launching Defence India Startup Challenge-4 (DISC4). He also emphasised the importance of private partnership and related technology transfer, 74 per cent FDI approval.

New Delhi:Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday released the Project Management Approach (PMA) guidelines for iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) during the launch of Defence India Startup Challenge-4 (DISC4). Apart from Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat also participated in the event, held through video conferencing.

"DISC-4 challenge will surge ahead of its earlier editions and promote innovation and development in the country. Similarly iDEX4Fauji initiative will ensure the participation of our personnel in this program," Singh said. The Defence Minister congratulated all stakeholders, including those in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), for creating such an environment where participants from various sectors are coming together to promote innovation in defence.

Read:Rajnath Singh unveils Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020

"In the process of making defence sector strong and self-reliant, we have understood that along with the government sector the private sector also needs to participate in this. We have taken some policy decisions on this regard. Partnerships with the private sector, technology transfer, 74 per cent FDI approval and the recently released negative list of 101 items are a part of it. We want to promote our private players along with opting for built in the country products," he said.

The Defence Minister mentioned the 'Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020' launched yesterday, which contains provisions to promote the private sector's participation."We neither have a dearth of talent nor of demand for it. In the absence of a common platform, they were not able to meet up at a commonplace. iDEX platform has succeeded in filling this gap. In the last three rounds of DISC, over 700 startups and innovators had participated. Out of these,58 participants, were chosen for innovation grants under 'Support for Prototype and research kickstart' (SPARK)," Singh said. He further added that the 11 challenges in the DISC-4 challenge cover all needs of the armed forces.

(ANI)