Defence innovation summit to accelerate US-India co-development and co-production

Washington, Jun 19 (PTI) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to the US, a select group of eminent defence sector firms from the two nations will participate in an innovative summit which would serve as a bridge and is expected to catapult the defence industrial cooperation between them like never before.

To be attended by some of the key private sector defence players from India and the US, the INDUS-X summit beginning June 20 will see the initiation of “Joint Challenges” under the Defence Innovation Bridge, focusing on common dual-use cases for both nations.

The inaugural INDUS X is expected to result in an Indo-US Joint Innovation Fund to boost deep tech defence startups in both countries.

This fund aims to utilise a Public-Private Partnership model to assemble funds and expertise. The conference will involve leading universities, incubators, and accelerators. Partnerships with these entities will support defence innovation projects.

It will also see the USIBC launch a senior advisory group composed of government officials, industry leaders, and academic experts to guide future bilateral engagements under the INDUS X banner.

America’s Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti is scheduled to deliver a keynote address to launch INDUS X on Tuesday during which a Joint Working Group will be established to guide activities under the Defence Innovation Bridge. This group will encourage interaction between startups and delegates of both countries, fostering mutual confidence, officials from organisers, the US India Business Council (USIBC), said.

It will also see USIBC launch a senior advisory group composed of government officials, industry leaders, and academic experts to guide future bilateral engagements under the INDUS X banner.

INDUS X is part of the broader strategic and defence partnership initiative, “the defence innovation bridge,” announced under the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and led by the US Department of Defence and India’s Innovation for Defence Excellence initiative under India’s Department for Defence Production.

ICET was launched by National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Washington DC early this year.

The two met in New Delhi last week as well.

During US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent visit to India, both sides-initiated negotiations on a Security of Supply Chain Agreement and Defence Procurement Agreement and established their Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation.

The USIBC said the INDUS X conference builds off this momentum to cultivate a joint defence innovation ecosystem and foster co-development and co-production between the two nations.

US Undersecretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment William A LaPlante, and the US Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, along with Dr Vivek Lall, from General Atomics, are other prominent speakers at the two-day event.