The Ministry of Defence promotes ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and announces the allocation of $3 billion to encourage startups and MSMEs to enhance their capabilities in cutting-edge technology for national security.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Defence allocated over $3 billion through its Technology Development Fund (TDF) to engage private industries, especially MSMEs and startups, to promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the defence sector. The TDF scheme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Defence executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which supports these entities with grants-in-aid to foster a culture of design and development in military technology.
The TDF seeks to enhance the capacity and capability of Indian industries to design and develop defence technologies in the country. It aims to create an R&D ecosystem where industry and academia work together to meet the current and future requirements of the Armed Forces and the defence sector.
The government aims to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence technology by building a robust defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country.
On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry highlighted several successful startups benefiting from the scheme.
Previously, Pune-based startup Combat Robotics, with the help of the scheme, has successfully developed an innovative simulator for uncrewed vehicles.
Another Pune-based defence equipment startup, ChiStats Labs Private Limited, is developing virtual sensors for aero gas turbine engine health monitoring, which will help increase the engines’ operational reliability and longevity.
