INDUS X aims to foster collaboration and innovation in the defense sector
In a significant development for bilateral defense cooperation, the India-United States Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched on June 21, 2023, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States.

The INDUS X event, co-organized by Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX), the Ministry of Defense, and the US Department of Defense (DoD), marked a new chapter in the strategic partnership between the two nations. The launch event was hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and witnessed the participation of various stakeholders from both countries.

On June 20–21, the two-day INDUS-X conference included a variety of events designed to promote cooperation between Indian and US defense start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, and industry. On June 20, the event started with a reception that included important figures from the defense innovation ecosystem from India and the US.

Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the growing India-US relationship and emphasizing the immense potential for startups from both nations to collaborate in deep-tech innovations, particularly in the domains of Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Frank Kendall, the US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote speech on June 21, during which he highlighted the link between the US and India's exponential growth and emphasized the significance of using both nations' developing deep-tech ecosystems. He stressed the need for US and Indian start-ups to work together on cutting-edge technology, with an emphasis on space and AI.

At the INDUS-X event, Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), Ministry of Defense, headed the Indian delegation. He referred to the introduction of INDUS X as a landmark event in the relationship between India and the US in his opening remarks on "Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defense Cooperation."

He pointed out that the occasion fell on the same day as a summit of the two biggest and oldest democracies in the world, which was held in Washington, D.C. Joint Secretary Bajpai stressed the value of Indian and American start-ups working together to develop and produce cutting-edge technology.

The Joint Secretary urged participants to set up systems for future industry, academic, and investor engagement. He also gave a summary of the Made in India project, highlighting its guiding principles and the ethos of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

The collaborative presentation of cutting-edge technology by Indian and American start-ups was one of the event's highlights. Ten American start-ups and fifteen Indian start-ups displayed their cutting-edge products in marine, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and space, among other fields.

The exhibition garnered the attention of senior US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna and Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD.

Congressman Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, has voiced his support for the development of defense links between India and the United States.

The event featured two panel discussions and two roundtables, focusing on deepening collaborations across government, academia, and industry, with a special emphasis on start-ups. Participants engaged in discussions on export control regulations, further underscoring the commitment of both nations to promote responsible and secure defense technology transfers.

At the conclusion of the event, an INDUS X factsheet was released, summarizing the key objectives and outcomes of the event and setting the stage for continued collaboration and innovation between Indian and US defense stakeholders.