INDUS-X Summit

India and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation on defence innovation at the third edition of the INDUS-X summit held in California(September 9-10, 2024)

The MoU was signed between Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under India's Defence Ministry and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) of the U.S. Department of Defence to deepen collaboration in defence innovation.
The INDUS-X summit, launched in June 2023 during PM Modi’s state visit to the U.S., aims to expand strategic technology partnerships and foster defence industrial cooperation between the two nations.
Key announcements included a new challenge under INDUS-X, the release of the INDUS-X impact report, and the launch of an official INDUS-X webpage on both iDEX and DIU websites.
INDUS-X focuses on addressing defence innovation challenges, such as those related to the maritime domain, with two key challenges—underwater communications for the Indian Navy and oil spill detection for the Coast Guard—introduced last year.
The summit provided a platform for startups and MSMEs to showcase next-generation technologies, facilitating dialogue through forums like the Senior Advisory Group and Senior Leaders Forum.