Important Facts For Prelims
Innovations for Defence Excellence
- 18 May 2023
- 5 min read
Why in News?
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence, has signed its 250th contract – first under Mission DefSpace – and 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract.
What are Mission DefSpace and SPRINT Navy Contracts?
- Mission DefSPace Contract:
- Space startup InspeCity has been awarded the first iDEX contract of Mission DefSpace.
- InspeCity had emerged as the winner of a challenge conducted by the Defence Space Agency focused on developing a gas based Micropropulsion system for cubesats.
- Cubesats are a class of small satellites and are easy to manufacture, modular, modular, low cost, integrate and launch. The cubesats are critical for launch-on-demand capabilities and are good for Imagery, Reconnaissance/communication, and also Intelligence Surveillance.
- This technology will enable precise manoeuvring and orbit correction for satellites, including the cubesat swarm being developed under Mission DefSpace.
- SPRINT (Navy) Contract:
- Siliconia Technologies Pvt Ltd, has emerged as the winner of a SPRINT (Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX, NIIO and TDAC) Challenge focused on developing a lightweight Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) based communication system for phased-array radars.
- The system provides multiple independent receiver/transmitter sources crucial for satellite tracking.
- It utilizes software-defined antennas for communication with Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit, and Geostationary Satellites.
What is iDEX?
- About:
- iDEX, launched in 2018, is an ecosystem to foster innovation & technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging innovators & entrepreneurs to deliver technologically advanced solutions for modernizing the Indian Military.
- It provides funding/grants to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), start-ups, individual innovators, R&D (Research and Developments) institutes and academia to carry out research and development.
- The iDEX-Prime aims to support projects requiring support beyond Rs 1.5 crore up to Rs 10 crore, to help ever-growing start-ups in the defence sector.
- iDEX portal was launched to provide wider publicity and better visibility of iDEX activities and enable more efficient running of future challenges through better information management.
- Objectives:
- Indigenization: Rapid development of new, indigenized and innovative technology.
- Innovation: Creates a culture of engagement with innovative startups to encourage co-creation.
- Funding:
- iDEX is funded and managed by “Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)”.
- iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
- Achievement:
- iDEX has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister Award for Public Policy in Innovation Category for the year 2021.
What is Mision DefSpace?
- It was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India during the October 2022 edition of India’s DefExpo.
- It aims to nurture the Indian Private Space industry through challenges addressing every stage of a space mission – from mission planning to satellite data analytics.
- This mission encompasses 75 Defense Space Challenges that directly suit the needs of end users.
- These challenges have been categorised into the existing DDP initiatives of iDEX, Make-I, and Make-2, allowing participation from private industries, including startups, MSMEs, and individual innovators.
- The challenges are categorized into five different domains:
- Launch System
- Satellite System
- Communication & Payload System
- Ground System, and Software System.
- Together, they offer an in-depth and complete understanding of space from a 360-degree perspective.
