Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched ‘Dare to Dream 5.0’ on Friday during the DRDO-Industry Workshop on Defence Technology Acceleration in New Delhi. The initiative, now in its fifth edition, aims to inspire the next generation of innovators and start-ups to present transformative ideas for defence applications.
In its fifth edition, DRDO’s innovation contest seeks to develop cutting-edge solutions, propelling India further in its quest for ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence technologies. Minister Singh emphasized the importance of advancing both incremental and disruptive technologies in the defence sector, highlighting how initiatives like ‘Dare to Dream’ help bridge the gap between the two.
Speaking at the event, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh urged the private sector to transition from mere ‘participation’ to ‘taking the lead’ in the defence industry, assuring full government support in transforming India into a global innovation and technology hub. Singh emphasized the pivotal role the private sector must play in making India one of the world’s strongest nations.
India's defence landscape is set for a major boost. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh launched 'Dare to Dream 5.0', calling innovators to bring ideas for transforming defence applications. He also launched Deep-tech challenges to drive advancements in critical defence… pic.twitter.com/RU26SKdKA5
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) October 18, 2024
Defence Minister also urged the private sector to play a pivotal role in the rapid technological advancements happening globally. He emphasized the need for timely assessments to prevent technologies from becoming obsolete by the time they are deployed.
He also called for developing cutting-edge projects under the Technology Development Fund (TDF). He advocated for a comprehensive system within the scheme to conduct thorough scans, ensuring that technologies are not duplicated. Singh stressed the importance of innovation that aligns with the fast-evolving defence landscape to maintain competitiveness and relevance.
Singh termed the adoption of unconventional ideas, not yet known to the world, as the only way to progress in unconventional warfare. Acknowledging it as a tough task, he stated that the government will continue providing all necessary support to the youth, scientists, industrialists and MSMEs in this endeavour.
Providing details of the TDF scheme he said “Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is providing up to 90% of the total project cost as grant support to eligible industries. The total support is up to Rs 50 crore, a good amount for any MSME and start-up to invest in defence R&D. Since its launch six years ago, 79 projects have been sanctioned, of which, technology has successfully been developed in 18 projects.”
Singh felicitated the winners of ‘Dare to Dream 4.0’, recognising individual innovators, start-ups and MSMEs for disruptive solutions and innovations in the fields of countermeasures for drones and swarm of drones, advanced acoustic systems to locate gunfire, directed energy technologies, cognitive listening device, target seeking and proximity sensing, free-space laser communication system, multi-terrain multi-utility robot among others.
Deep-Tech Challenges
The Defence Ministry has identified several challenges in Disruptive, Emerging, Enabling, and Pioneering Technologies (collectively called Deep-Tech) aimed at driving significant advancements in areas critical to India’s defence infrastructure. This emphasis on Deep-Tech highlights the necessity for India to develop and leverage breakthrough technologies to maintain its leadership in defence innovation. The specific challenges include:
- Compact Electromechanical Actuators
- Development of Indigenous Thrusters for Yard Craft (Indian Navy)
- High Purity Silicon Carbide Source Powder for the Bulk Growth of SiC Single Crystals
- Deep-Tech for High-Power Microwave (HPM) Countermeasures and Protection
- Development of a Digital Twin Framework for Aero Gas Turbine Engine Health and Usage Monitoring
Team BharatShakti
