INDUS-X Summit 2024:
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) participated in the second India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit in New Delhi, India.
- The summit was jointly organized by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), MoD, and the DoD, and coordinated by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and Society of India Defense Manufacturers (SIDM).
Key Highlights of the Second INDUS-X Summit:
- The summit emphasised the critical role India and the US play as key partners in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
- Discussions centred on co-producing advanced military capabilities, strengthening defence supply chains, and enhancing interoperability to address shared security challenges.
- Emphasis was placed on fostering innovation in defence technologies through collaborative efforts between Indian and American industries.
- The summit provided a platform for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the defence sector to engage with established players, facilitating knowledge exchange and partnerships.
- The summit highlighted the strong defence partnership between India and the US, citing initiatives like Initiatives on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) aimed at fostering innovation across key sectors, including defence.
- The Summit emphasised the crucial role of technological innovation in defence within the broader context of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership, fostering collective progress for defence industries across borders.
- The Summit highlighted the introduction of Joint IMPACT Challenges, aiming to advance defence and aerospace co-development and co-production collaboratively, involving startups in pioneering solutions.
