India Pushes Deep-Tech at Startup Mahakumbh
09 Apr 2025
2 Min Read
CW Team
Day 2 of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 put the spotlight on India鈥檚 growing leadership in deep-tech, defence, and precision manufacturing as top government officials, industry leaders, and startup founders converged at the Defence, Space & B2B Precision Manufacturing Pavilion.
Addressing the pavilion鈥檚 keynote session, Amit Satija, IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production, highlighted the transformative role of iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence). 鈥渋DEX has partnered with thousands of startups and rolled out over 450 projects,鈥� Satija said, noting that investor confidence is strong with over Rs 4.45 billion already invested in iDEX winners. 鈥淪tartups will lead the charge in building a Viksit Bharat 鈥� a self-reliant, tech-savvy India,鈥� he added.
India鈥檚 defence exports continue their upward trajectory, increasing from Rs 21 billion last year to approximately Rs 23.6 billion in 2024. The Ministry of Defence has set an ambitious export target of Rs 50 billion by 2028-29.
In a major collaboration, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) signed a tripartite MoU with the Defence Technology Development Fund (DTDF) and Directorate of Research and Development (DROD). This initiative will support startups and MSMEs under the Dare to Dream contest and the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, particularly for Defence Space Technologies.
During a session titled 鈥淚nnovations in Precision Manufacturing,鈥� panelists including DPIIT鈥檚 Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh, MEA鈥檚 Dr. Kumar Abhijeet, and IN-SPACe鈥檚 Jagathi Priya emphasized export control, ease of approvals, and startup compliance as critical to enabling a $44 billion Indian space economy over the next decade. With 100% FDI now permitted in various sectors, speakers called for regulatory agility to nurture innovation.
Another panel led by Abhishek Chandra (Evolvence India Fund) brought together leaders from India鈥檚 deep-tech space such as Dheya Technologies, Unimech Aerospace, and HHV Advanced Technologies. Discussions centered on investment, innovation, and the industrial partnerships required to scale high-tech ventures.
In a pivotal discussion moderated by Sansad TV鈥檚 Manish Kumar Jha, DRDO鈥檚 Dr. Subrata Rakshit and senior officials from Azista BST Aerospace, HQ IDS, and Digantara highlighted the necessity of deeper startup-academia-industry collaboration. They called for stronger policy and financial support systems to enable long-term R&D in strategic technologies, noting that unlike consumer tech, defence and space startups require patient capital and sustained technical mentorship.
From MoUs and visionary targets to high-level panels and industry-wide collaboration, Day 2 of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 reinforced India鈥檚 goal of becoming a global powerhouse in deep-tech, strategic manufacturing, and defence innovation.
Day 2 of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 put the spotlight on India鈥檚 growing leadership in deep-tech, defence, and precision manufacturing as top government officials, industry leaders, and startup founders converged at the Defence, Space & B2B Precision Manufacturing Pavilion.
Addressing the pavilion鈥檚 keynote session, Amit Satija, IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production, highlighted the transformative role of iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence). 鈥渋DEX has partnered with thousands of startups and rolled out over 450 projects,鈥� Satija said, noting that investor confidence is strong with over Rs 4.45 billion already invested in iDEX winners. 鈥淪tartups will lead the charge in building a Viksit Bharat 鈥� a self-reliant, tech-savvy India,鈥� he added.
India鈥檚 defence exports continue their upward trajectory, increasing from Rs 21 billion last year to approximately Rs 23.6 billion in 2024. The Ministry of Defence has set an ambitious export target of Rs 50 billion by 2028-29.
In a major collaboration, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) signed a tripartite MoU with the Defence Technology Development Fund (DTDF) and Directorate of Research and Development (DROD). This initiative will support startups and MSMEs under the Dare to Dream contest and the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, particularly for Defence Space Technologies.
During a session titled 鈥淚nnovations in Precision Manufacturing,鈥� panelists including DPIIT鈥檚 Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh, MEA鈥檚 Dr. Kumar Abhijeet, and IN-SPACe鈥檚 Jagathi Priya emphasized export control, ease of approvals, and startup compliance as critical to enabling a $44 billion Indian space economy over the next decade. With 100% FDI now permitted in various sectors, speakers called for regulatory agility to nurture innovation.
Another panel led by Abhishek Chandra (Evolvence India Fund) brought together leaders from India鈥檚 deep-tech space such as Dheya Technologies, Unimech Aerospace, and HHV Advanced Technologies. Discussions centered on investment, innovation, and the industrial partnerships required to scale high-tech ventures.
In a pivotal discussion moderated by Sansad TV鈥檚 Manish Kumar Jha, DRDO鈥檚 Dr. Subrata Rakshit and senior officials from Azista BST Aerospace, HQ IDS, and Digantara highlighted the necessity of deeper startup-academia-industry collaboration. They called for stronger policy and financial support systems to enable long-term R&D in strategic technologies, noting that unlike consumer tech, defence and space startups require patient capital and sustained technical mentorship.
From MoUs and visionary targets to high-level panels and industry-wide collaboration, Day 2 of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 reinforced India鈥檚 goal of becoming a global powerhouse in deep-tech, strategic manufacturing, and defence innovation.
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