Government to provide full support to the private sector in taking lead in the field of defence & making India an innovation & technology hub: Union Minister of Defence, Mr. Rajnath Singh

Union Minister of Defence, Mr. Rajnath Singh urged the private sector to move from ‘participation’ to ‘leadership’ in the defence sector, assuring full government support to make India a hub for innovation and technology. At the Twaral DRDO-Industry Workshop on Defence Technology Acceleration on October 18, 2024, he addressed key stakeholders, including scientists, industry leaders, and MSMEs. He highlighted the transformation of conventional to unconventional warfare, which now includes drones, cyber warfare, bioweapons, and space defence. He emphasized the private sector's capability to absorb rapid technological changes and called for greater innovation.

During the event, he launched ‘Dare to Dream 5.0’ to encourage next-generation innovators and start-ups to present transformative ideas for defence applications, following the success of the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, which provides up to 90% of project costs, capped at US$ 5.9 million (Rs. 50 crores). Several cutting-edge technologies developed under TDF were also handed over to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Armed Forces, marking a significant step towards self-reliance in defence. The workshop focused on expediting the development of critical defence technologies through collaboration across sectors, particularly in Disruptive, Emerging, Enabling, and Pioneering (Deep-Tech) technologies.

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