Rajnath Singh hails new energy, commitment & enthusiasm of Start-ups at Aero India 2023

BENGALURU. Speaking at the Start-Up Manthan at Aero India 2023 on February Defence Minister Rajnath 16, Singh equated Start-ups with new energy, new commitment and new enthusiasm.

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He said that start-ups are more open to adopting new technology architecture, making them essential to India's progress.

The Defence Minister applauded the growth of Indian start-ups in every sector, with numbers increasing to approximately one lakh today, including more than 100 unicorns. He added that this shows the enthusiasm of our youth and their drive to innovate.

Rajnath Singh also launched the Ninth edition of Defence India Startup Challenges (DISC 9) on "Cybersecurity" with 28 problem statements, and the iDEX Investor Hub (ilH). More than Rs 200 crores have already been pledged under ilH by leading Indian investors.

Rajnath Singh said that the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, launched under the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Ministry of Defence, has enabled talent from across the country to come forward. Our Services, DPSUs, Coast Guard as well as organisations under the Home-Ministry are giving problem statements to our youth, who are rising to the challenge every time, he mentioned.

The Defence Minister noted that India is supporting its youth to innovate, thereby empowering them to become job creators and manufacture indigenous defence products and reduce our dependence on imports. Appreciating the enthusiastic response of start-ups, industry and other participants to the "Start-Up Manthan", he expressed confidence that India would emerge as a lighthouse for the world in the field of innovation.

He added that the event was a festival of the Indian Defence startup ecc em and an indicator of the success of iDEX. He said,