The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was officially launched on Wednesday by the Defence Departments of India and the US.
The initiative aims to strengthen the two countries’ strategic technological collaboration and defence-industrial cooperation. INDUS-X will provide jobs for working families in both nations and promote global peace, security, and prosperity.
The India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X), co-organised by iDEX, Ministry of Defence, India, & the US @DeptofDefense was launched at an event in Washington,DC, USA,on 21st June 2023.
— Defence Production India (@DefProdnIndia) June 22, 2023
The event was hosted by USIBC.
Details : ➡️ https://t.co/Wt2a5hI7mT pic.twitter.com/7IWeQHxEx9
Launch of the INDUS-X Initiative
The US-India Business Council (USIBC) organised the two-day event at the US Chamber of Commerce. Defence innovation stakeholders from across countries, academic and research organisations, investors, defence firms, technology incubators, industry associations, and other start-up enablers participated in extensive talks to enhance advanced technological collaboration between both countries’ defence industrial ecosystems.
Following the official launch, the US Department of Defence (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) welcomed an ambitious partnership agenda outlining the projects that INDUS-X stakeholders want to pursue.
Officials affirmed that INDUS-X will catalyse innovation and assist both nations’ armed services in acquiring the capabilities needed to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific.
What is the INDUS-X Initiative?
According to a US Defence Department press release, “this initiative builds on a commitment by the US and Indian National Security Advisors in January 2023 to launch a ‘Innovation Bridge’ to connect US and Indian defence start-ups as part of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).”
The official release stated that assistance from both governments would lead to stronger cooperation between the private sectors and accelerate innovation by research institutes within the defence industrial bases.
At #INDUSX being hosted at @USChamber, USIBC hosted a substantive discussion on procurement, export controls, and industrial security with government, industry, and academia. pic.twitter.com/uRXju8iSAe
— U.S.-India Business Council (@USIBC) June 21, 2023
Agenda of INDUS-X
The agenda outlines potential INDUS-X stakeholders’ initiatives to promote defence innovation between the US and India. The agenda includes a time frame and criteria for measuring progress in implementing INDUS-X collaboration initiatives.
- Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism
- A Senior Advisor Group (SAG) will evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership agenda and provide recommendations for future work to the defence establishments and other INDUS-X stakeholders.
- The US Institute of Peace (USIP), Carnegie India, USIBC, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) will convene follow-up programming to drive collaboration agenda implementation and identify barriers to implementation for SAG consideration.
- Industry and Academia-Led Initiatives
- Mentor-Protégé Partnerships for Start-ups: Defence firms in India and the US plan to identify possibilities for formal and informal mentorship with start-ups to help with market access, business strategy, and technical know-how.
- Accelerator Programme for Defence Start-ups: In partnership with other INDUS-X stakeholders, Hacking for Allies (H4x), the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad have expressed their intent to explore opportunities to assist start-ups.
- Academic & Start-up Programming Partnerships with Universities and Accelerators: Pennsylvania State University, IIT Madras, and IIT Kanpur have expressed an interest in leading best-practice workshops with Indian and American universities and accelerator partners to exchange best practices in defence innovation, fielding, and commercialisation.
- Collaboration of Start-ups with Defense Majors’ Supply Chains.
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Joint (Prize) Challenges: In collaboration with external stakeholders, the DoD and MoD will review joint challenges for US and Indian start-ups that leverage shared dual-use applications for both nations.
- Innovation, Testing, and Certification Labs & Centers for Defense Start-ups: To promote start-up collaboration, the DoD and MoD seek to explore ways for start-ups to access each other’s respective research and development (R&D) centres and innovation laboratories.
- Indo-US Joint Innovation Fund: IndiaSpora, IndUS Tech Council, Forge/Coimbatore, and T-Hub/Hyderabad will work with private investors to acquire funding for defence and dual-use start-ups.
- Easing regulations for cross-border development & trade: The SAG will suggest modifications to the respective regulatory schemes (e.g., DFARS, ITAR, EAR, Make in India) to expedite start-up innovation and improve procurement opportunities between the two countries.
- Standardisation of Indo-US certifications for technology start-ups: The MoD and DoD seek to examine standardizing certification for technologies developed by both nations’ defence innovation ecosystems to accelerate their use.
#INDUSX “will empower industry to further facilitate India’s role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region" @USAmbKeshap
— U.S.-India Business Council (@USIBC) June 21, 2023
Read @SandhyaETprime's comprehensive overview of the #INDUSX initiative:https://t.co/fu43ZI9pq8 pic.twitter.com/mLRniaLLQB
India-US Defence Ties
The US and India are progressively accomplishing defence cooperation initiatives that no one could have envisioned twenty years back.
According to a US official, India is joining the US in annual air and sea drills in the region. “We now have working groups on everything ranging from cyberspace and critical technologies to maritime security, and India is leading in those forums together with the US and like-minded partners,” the official remarked.
India will be a critical strategic partner for the US in the coming decades. According to the source, India is showing increasing willingness to join the US in defending and encouraging a shared vision of a free, open, and rules-based global order.