NewsGate Press Network

In a path-breaking initiative the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday the 22nd of March 2022 cleared the procurement of 14 items worth Rs 380.43 crore from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) startups/MSMEs. These items will be procured by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

The DAC also approved the new simplified procedure for procurement from iDEX startups/MSMEs.

This would fast-track the procurement from the startups/MSMEs.

The procurement cycle from the AON to contract signing will be around 22 weeks as per the new procedure. Suitable incorporation will be made in the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2022.

The DAC also approved the simplified procedure for Make-II categoStartips/MSMEsry projects on similar lines of iDEX procedure and would considerably bring down the time taken from prototype development to Contract signing in Make-II projects.

The iDEX, a game changer in the Defence eco-system, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 with the objective of fostering innovation and incorporating cutting-edge and disruptive technologies in the Armed Forces in a quick time-frame.

The iDEX scheme, since its initiative in 2018, has now gathered momentum, and it is expected that around 25-40 items after the successful prototyping by the iDEX startups/MSMEs, will be ready for procurement by this year end.

The iDEX scheme has been instituted under the over-arching mission of the MoD to achieve self-reliance and indigenisation.