IIT Kanpur SIIC Signs MoU with DIO to be a Partner in iDEX-Prime

New Delhi: The technology business incubator at IIT Kanpur, Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) has signed an MoU with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) on April 22, 2022. Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh was present during the ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This collaboration is an initiative by IIT Kanpur to become a partner incubator in the flagship programme iDEX-Prime. 

As per the official report by IIT Kanpur, iDEX-Prime will support startups for projects upto INR 10 crore to add to the innovation ecosystem nationally across multiple domains. The areas include AI, Advanced Imaging, Sensor Systems, Big Data Analytics, Autonomous Unmanned Systems, Secured Communication. 

In addition to the Defence Minister, Professor Ankush Sharma, Co-PIC, Innovation and Incubation IIT Kanpur, Mr. Piyush Mishra, COO, SIIC, Mr. Jatin Mishra, Manager-Bio Programmes and Mr. Keshav Pareek, Assistant Manager, were also present during the ceremony. 

Primary Aims of the Incubation Ecosystem at IIT Kanpur

The incubation ecosystem at the institute will primarily work towards the following goals:

• Supporting startups and innovators engaged in the defence domain
• Working to provide solutions of the 38 identified problem statements shared by Defence Forces under DISC 6 Challenges

The DISC 6 supervises the involvement and working of seven newly established military corporations, the Indian Coast Guard and organisations under the Ministry of Home Affairs along with the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). 

Regarding the collaboration, Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director at IIT Kanpur has commented that the iDEX-Prime programme is a great initiative to attain “Atmanirbharata” in the Defence sector. 

“IIT Kanpur is proud to be a key partner incubator in DIO’s iDEX-Prime program to support the startups in achieving the stated goals under the program. This partnership will definitely leverage our institute’s infrastructure and the research and development pool to take strides in making Atmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector”, as stated by the Director. 

Professor Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, PIC- Innovation and Incubation, IIT Kanpur, also has commented on the partnership. 

“It is indeed an honour to be partnering with Defence Innovation Organization and join hands for shared goal of supporting innovation to achieve self-sufficiency for Indian Defence services. I’m thrilled at this partnership and hopeful that the startup ecosystem currently in action at IIT Kanpur does justice to it by supporting and harnessing the innovation in the Defence sector”, as stated by the Professor. 

The Ministry of Defence's iDEX aims at building an ecosystem that nurtures innovation and technology development in the Defence sector, fuelled by the multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) institutes, universities, enterprises, startups and innovators. The programme is a significant step towards actualising the theory of self-sufficiency for the Indian Military. 

Along with the many programmes offered by IIT Delhi, this step is an added point in the many fruitful achievements by the institute. 

Main Challenges for the iDEX Prime

The programme has been launched with six problem statements as explained by the Armed Force. The problems are especially related to the startups and innovators with a grant of INR 10 crores. The challenges are the following:

• To develop an AI-based Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) for identifying and marking mines in any minefield
• To develop Advanced Truss Bridges
• To develop 11m ‘all electric’ Work Boat
• To develop an Automated Celestial Navigation System
• To make Expendable Active Decoys
• To develop Signals Intelligence System for Hilly Terrain and High Altitude Area

IIT Kanpur is to guide startups in domains such as AI, Sensor Systems, Big Data and so on to overcome the aforementioned challenges. 

Read More:

• IIT Kanpur and IIM Lucknow Jointly Launches Accelerator Programme in DeepTech and IoT
• IIT Kanpur Inks MoU with Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation Worth $ 2.5 M to Establish School of Medical Sciences and Technology

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