Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched an online portal — Srijan — that provides information about defence equipment and items that can be taken up for indigenisation by private sector companies. The portal will help industry partners to play an active role in the goal of self-reliance in the defence sector.

What is the significance of new portal?

Pursuant to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ announcement, Department of Defence Production (DDP) has developed the indigenisation portal (srijandefence.gov.in) as “opportunities for Make in India in Defence”.

It will give information on items that can be taken up for indigenisation by the private sector.

On this portal, DPSUs/Ordnance Factory Board/Service Headquarters can display their items which they have been importing or are going to import which the Indian industry can design, develop and manufacture as per their capability or through joint venture. 

After companies show interest, the concerned DPSUs/OFB/SHQs, based on their requirement of the items and their guidelines and procedures will respond.

In the first stage, DPSUs/OFB/SHQs have displayed those items which they have imported in 2019-20 and are going to import in 2020-21, for the annual value of the items as Rs 1 million and above.

There are over 3,000 unique items with a value of over Rs 10,000 crore that are available through the portal.

DDP signs contracts under iDEX

The DDP signed four contracts of Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC)-3 under Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). 

The iDEX aims to create an ecosystem which fosters innovation and encourages technology development in defence by engaging R&D institutes, academia, industries, startups and individual innovators. 

The iDEX framework was launched by PM Narendra Modi in April 2018. It is being implemented by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), a Section 8 company formed for this purpose, with Rs 50 crore support each from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), both of which are Defence Public Sector Units.

More than 700 startups and innovators responded to the three rounds of Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC). Over 55 startups/individuals have been selected to receive innovation grants in 15 technological areas through the prototype funding guidelines called ‘Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart’ (SPARK), which entail provisioning grants upto Rs 1.5 crore to the startups on the basis of milestones through multiple tranches.

For 44 winners identified under DISC 1 & 2, 28 contracts have been signed and first tranche/second tranche has been released to the winners for prototype development.