Current Context : India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, launched two key initiatives—ADITI 2.0 and DISC 12—at DefConnect 4.0 in Delhi.

Aim : to strengthen India’s defence technology ecosystem by encouraging innovation and providing financial support for new ideas.

ABOUT

ADITI 2.0 (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX):

• Features: 19 challenges from the Armed Forces in domains like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Technology, and anti-drone systems.
• Grants: Up to ₹25 crore for winners of the iDEX challenges.
• Focus: 30 critical and strategic defence technologies to strengthen innovation in India’s defence sector.

DISC 12 (DEFENCE INDIA START-UP CHALLENGES):

• Features: 41 challenges focusing on UAVs, AI, Networking, and Communication.
• Grants: Offers up to ₹5 crore for selected innovations.
• Partnership: Launched in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, encouraging start-ups and MSMEs to create defence prototypes and commercialize products.
• MIRA Initiative: Introduces Medical Innovations and Research Advancement (MIRA)to develop medical technologies for the Armed Forces.