Bengaluru, Feb 12

Manthan 2025, the flagship annual defence innovation event, was held as part of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on February 12, 2025. Organised by the Innovations for Defence Excellence – Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, the event brought together stakeholders of the defence innovation ecosystem, including innovators, industry leaders, academia, incubators, investors, thought leaders, and senior government officials.

As part of the event, a Roundtable Conference was chaired by Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar. He stressed on enhancing India’s combat readiness through the adoption of futuristic technologies to secure a strategic advantage in defence. He emphasised that by integrating latest innovations into the defence strategy, the country can modernise its Armed Forces, strengthen its readiness for future combat scenarios, and maintain a technological edge over potential adversaries.

⁠Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, ⁠Chairman IN-SPACe, Axilor Ventures, ⁠SKEGEN Management Advisors, ⁠CMDs of major DPSUs, CEO Bharat Forge Defence & Aerospace and President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, ideaFORGE, Sagar Defence, NewSpace Research & Technologies Pvt Ltd and major Incubators including IITs and IIMs attended the roundtable.

The conference deliberated on emerging challenges and opportunities in the sector, with a focus on supporting defence start-ups & MSMEs, enhancing innovation capabilities and fostering strategic collaborations within the defence ecosystem. This was particularly relevant as iDEX-DIO has collaborated with leading investors and banks to accelerate defence innovation and enable ease of doing innovation.

Manthan 2025 stood as a testament to the scale and speed of iDEX, showcasing the rapid strides made in defence innovation and the pivotal role of startups in transforming India's defence capabilities. It contributed to driving the self-reliance mission of the Ministry of Defence as the nation progresses towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

India moving towards becoming a global leader in defence innovation & aerospace technology

“Nothing less than the best can be allowed when it comes to national security; Providing our soldiers with the best of everything is our national responsibility”

“The time has come for the private industry to take a lead in defence manufacturing sector in India”

India’s indigenous ingenuity in defence manufacturing displayed through 33 state-of-the-art items at ‘Samarthya’ indigenisation event, first-of-its-kind at Aero India

“India is going through a revolutionary phase of transformation and is moving towards becoming a global leader in defence innovation & aerospace technology,” said defence minister Rajnath Singh while addressing the Valedictory event of 15^th Aero India in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 12, 2025. He stated that, at the beginning, holistic national empowerment was the underlying philosophy of the mantra of self-reliance given by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This philosophy gradually turned into our national spirit and now it is rapidly moving ahead to becoming a national resolution and national revolution,” he said. 

Shri Rajnath Singh acknowledged the energy and enthusiasm being witnessed at Aero India 2025, stating that the growing participation of domestic & global exhibitors at the event and the breath-taking aerobatic performances by the Indian Air Force have made the 15^th edition of Asia’s biggest aerospace and defence exhibition an unparalleled & historic event. He expressed optimism towards deeper and meaningful engagements amongst participating defence and aerospace companies.  

Elaborating on the drastic change being witnessed in the field of defence manufacturing in the country, Minister expressed appreciation over the fact that while 65-70% of defence equipment was imported a decade ago, today almost the same percentage of weapons/platforms are being manufactured on the Indian soil. “Today, we are at a juncture where many defence products, including fighter jets, missile systems & naval vessels, are not only protecting our borders, but also catching the attention of the world. From small artillery to large platforms like Brahmos and Akash missile system, we are exporting a variety of products to many countries. We have forged new partnerships at the global level, which has resulted in increased defence exports,” he added. 

Rajnath Singh asserted that India possesses a strong defence industrial complex, comprising 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), 430 licensed companies & about 16,000 MSMEs. He underlined that, with its current share of 21% in total defence production, the private sector is playing an active role in achieving the goal of self-reliance. He listed out the policies being constantly rolled out by the Government for the progress of both public and private sectors, including the revision of Defence Acquisition Procedure and the launch of initiatives/schemes such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) and Technology Development Fund (TDF). The time has come for the private industry to take a lead in the defence manufacturing sector in India, he said. 

Minister stressed on the fact that, in addition to the public & private sectors, the Armed Forces play the biggest role in the country’s pursuit of self-reliance. “National security is of utmost importance and there is no scope for any compromise. Nothing less than the best can be allowed when it comes to national security. Be it the equipment for our soldiers or provision of proper amenities for them & their families, providing them the best in everything is our national responsibility. I am happy to say that today our forces are not only being equipped with the ‘best’ weapons/technologies, they possess the platforms manufactured in India,” he said.

Rajnath Singh appreciated the Armed Forces for their full trust in indigenously-manufactured defence products. “The military has wholeheartedly adopted weapons and equipment manufactured in the country. Only with the complete satisfaction of our Armed Forces can we move ahead to achieve self-reliance at a faster pace. The huge Defence Industrial Complex being built in India is based on the trust and faith of all our forces,” he said. 

Defence Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to constantly increase defence preparedness, keeping in mind the dimensions of warfare emerging today. He said Aero India 2025 has shown the potential that the future of Indian defence and aerospace sector is not just limited to the skies, but beyond it. He expressed gratitude to everyone for participating in the 15^th Aero India, and hoped that it sows seeds of many collaborative, mutually beneficial and successful ventures & alliances amongst the participants. 

Earlier, Rajnath Singh graced ‘Samarthya’ indigenisation event, which was first-of-its-kind at Aero India. It showcased India’s indigenous ingenuity in defence manufacturing through 33 major items including 24 of DPSUs, DRDO & Indian Navy and nine successful innovation projects of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). 

The items included ELECTRO BLOCK of Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun, Electric Mobile Part for submarine, Torsion Bar Suspension of HMV 6x6, Extruded Al alloy for components of LCA MK-I/II, LCH, Indian High temperature alloy (IHTA) Forged, Solution Annealed & Machined Billet, VPX-135 Single Board Computer, Muzzle Bore Sight of Tank T-90, RudraM II MISSILE, Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range, C4ISR System, DIFM R118 Electronic Warfare Systems, Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Receiver, Next-Generation Electric Ferry, Computerised Pilot Selection System, Counter measures for illegal drones (RF Jammer Guns), 4G/LTE TAC-LAN, Generation of Quantum Secure Keys between two nodes connected directly over 200 Kms) QKD – Armos, Abhed1 Secure Hardware based offline Encryption, Advanced autonomous systems for the armed forces, Attack surface monitoring tool, AI/ Ml Based Analytical and Decision Support Platforms (DeepDarshak), Smart Compressed Breathing Apparatus, Fire Wire for IFDSS, Portable RCS measuring device, Penetrator Assy for 125mm FSAPDS, Pilot Parachute PSU-36 for SU-30MKI, Knock out Engine (KOE) Charge for Konkurs-M missile, Diffusion Technology based Drivers Night Sight for BMP II and 30mm Six Barrel AO-18 Gun for AK630M Naval Gun. 

During the event, three booklets – Coffee Table Booklet 'Samarthya' on Indigenisation; Compendium of Problem Definition Statement (CPDS) i.e. 2025 and Booklet of HQ IDS - were released by Raksha Mantri. The Coffee Table Booklet provides an overview of the indigenisation journey led by the Department of Defence Production. The Booklet of HQ IDS offers insights into conducting multi-domain operations in a data-centric environment, in the backdrop of emergence of new & transformative technology. 

The CPDS aims to bridge the gap between the operational challenges of the Indian Army and the innovative solutions offered by academia, industry start-ups and research institutions. It contains 82 Problem Statements across 11 functional domains of warfare, including AI, communications, electronic warfare, situational awareness, survivability, mobility, armament, unmanned systems, cyber, logistical challenges etc.  It also includes problem statements for Indigenisation/ import substitution to reduce our import dependency for certain components or assemblies of legacy equipment. 

The CPDS is a structured approach where the Army identifies and documents critical operational challenges and provides a platform for the Indian defence ecosystem to engage directly while accelerating the research and deployment of cutting-edge technologies tailored to the Army’s needs. The detailed guidelines elaborating on the procedure for submitting responses and evaluation criteria have been included in the Compendium available for download in the Army Design Bureau webpage of Indian Army website.   

During the event, employees and associated industry partners of the DPSUs, DRDO, Services, who have contributed immensely in the indigenisation of the displayed items were felicitated during the event. Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth; Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan; Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi; Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi; Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh; Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh; Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar were among those who attended the event.

The grand finale and prize distribution ceremony of the Defence Innovation Challenge for Excellence (DICE-2024) was organised during Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on February 12, 2025. The competition witnessed an overwhelming response, attracting applications from 47 cities across 17 states. After rigorous screening across three levels, 24 start-ups advanced to the grand finale, with winners selected across three categories: Revenue Stage, Pre-Revenue Stage, and Idea Stage. These are:

Revenue Stage

Winner: Shravan Yadav, Auxobit Aerospace Private Limited, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Runner-up: Nikhil Rajput, NxtQube - Aerogravity Pvt. Ltd., Nashik

Pre-Revenue Stage

Winner: A. Gyanesh Kumar Rao, Gyanadraksha Wydhumraketustra Subrahmkr Pvt. Ltd., Bhilai, Madhya Pradesh.

Runner-up: Utkarsh Ahuja, Contriver Autonomous Systems Private Limited, Delhi

Idea Stage

Winner: Vijay Mamtani, Prayogik, Bhopal

Runner-up: Ryan Nadar, PLASMA BLADE PROPELLER, Mumbai

Special Jury Mention: Sarthak Sudhir

The grand jury panel for the finale featured senior officials from the Armed Forces, Distinguished Academicians, and seasoned industry leaders. Winners were awarded a total cash prize of Rs 6.50 lakh, along with exclusive incubation and seed funding opportunities through MAGIC. DICE-2024 was launched in October 2024 to identify and support cutting-edge solutions for critical defence challenges while enabling start-ups to transform their research into commercially viable technologies.

Speaking on the occasion, Director General (Electronic and Communication Systems), DRDO Dr BK Das emphasised the crucial role of initiatives like DICE-2024 in strengthening India’s defence innovation ecosystem. He said DRDO remains committed to supporting innovative start-ups that align with the Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence. Challenges like DICE-2024 provide a crucial platform for breakthrough technologies, he added.

The event was organised by the Marathwada Accelerator for Growth and Incubation Council (MAGIC), and powered by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the 3D Engineering LLP, with support from Start-up India, the Office of the Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, iDEX, and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society.

BEL signs MoU with CoreEL Technologies

Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and CoreEL Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, have signed an MoU for the joint development and indigenisation of subsystems in the areas of Electronic Warfare, Sonars, Radars and Missile Electronics.

The objective of the agreement, announced at Aero India 2025, is to co-operate and support indigenous development of subsystems required for the realisation of equipment/systems in the field of EW, Radar, Sonar, etc, for Defence applications. 

About CoreEL Technologies Pvt Ltd  

CoreEL is a Defence and Aerospace company engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of high-end electronics products and subsystems for Radars, Electronic Warfare, Sonars, Missile Electronics, etc, for Aerospace and Defence industry.

RTX’s Collins Aerospace launches Powered by Collins Initiative™

Collins Aerospace, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, today announced the launch of its Powered by Collins Initiative™ 2025 edition at Aero India. The initiative invites deep tech small- to medium-sized enterprises to work with a leader in aerospace and defense through targeted collaboration opportunities which represent technologies critical to the industry’s future. This year’s opportunities bring focus to material informatics and quantum-enabled navigation.

Collaboration opportunities represent known needs for active aerospace and defense projects and programs, where collaboration through funded, rapid development demonstration programs can accelerate deployment of solutions for customers. Since its launch in 2023, the Powered by Collins Initiative has worked with companies focused on aerospace and defense as well as companies in adjacent industries.

In addition to this year’s collaboration opportunities, Collins has expanded the program with the launch of the Powered by Collins ecosystem on Switchpitch – an online startup relationship management platform that helps to connect startups with enterprises, investors and technology accelerators.

“Innovation and Collins’ technology development needs are constantly evolving, and the Powered by Collins Ecosystem serves as a complement to our existing collaboration network, enabling Collins business teams to engage potential solution providers throughout the year. We believe this will unlock even more dynamic collaboration and rapidly provide solutions to meet our customers' needs,” said Mary Lombardo, vice president, Advanced Technology for Collins.

The partnership focuses on developing indigenous UAV systems, including drones, sensors, AI-driven analytics, eVTOL Solutions, catering to defence, agriculture, and smart city applications.

Key Highlights

Integration of AI/ML-driven solutions to enhance drone efficiency, achieving a 20% reduction in energy consumption and over 20% cost savings.

Establishing a 100% indigenous vendor ecosystem for UAV development and manufacturing, reducing reliance on imports.

Accelerating UAV development cycles by up to six months, supporting a rapidly growing market with significant potential.

Tata Elxsi, a global leader in design and technology services, and Garuda Aerospace, a pioneering UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) manufacturer, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Aero India 2025, Asia’s biggest Airshow, being held from February 10^th –14^th. This partnership establishes a dedicated UAV design, engineering, and certification center to develop indigenous drone technologies specifically for Indian defence applications, along with agriculture, and smart cities, supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Tata Elxsi and Garuda Aerospace are showcasing prototypes, designs, and operational UAVs at Aero India 2025. In addition, a demonstration of indigenised UAV components highlights India’s advancements in autonomous UAV technologies.

Tata Elxsi will lead the design, development, testing, and certification of UAV subsystems, leveraging its expertise in avionics, miniaturisation, ground control systems, secured communication, and energy optimisation. Its proven capabilities in avionics certification, including compliance with DO-254 and DO-178C standards, will ensure regulatory adherence and safety. By integrating its proprietary autonomous and digital twin technologies, AI-driven solutions, and advanced propulsion and battery management systems, Tata Elxsi will enhance UAV efficiency, reduce energy consumption by 20%, cut costs by over 20%, and accelerate development cycles by up to six months.

Garuda Aerospace, as an OEM with a strong presence in defence and other sectors, will lead business acquisition and delivery. The drones developed under this initiative will cater to multiple applications such as payload management, goods delivery, precision agriculture, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions, addressing critical operational needs across industries.

The Indian defence forces and Border Security Force are expected to be key beneficiaries of this collaboration, gaining access to cutting-edge UAV capabilities. Additionally, this initiative will create new employment opportunities and contribute to workforce development in the aerospace sector.

Jayaraj Rajapandian, Head of Aerospace, Rail & Off-highway, Tata Elxsi, stated: “Our partnership with Garuda Aerospace marks a major milestone in India’s aerospace ambitions. By driving AI-powered UAV advancements, we are strengthening India’s defence ecosystem and reinforcing the country’s self-reliance in aerospace technologies.”

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said “This strategic collaboration with Tata Elxsi reinforces our commitment to indigenous innovation. Over the next three to five years, we will focus on fully indigenised production and supply of airborne and ground systems, strengthening India’s leadership in UAV technology.”

 

BEL delivers 7,000th transmit/receive module to Thales for Rafale RBE2 Radar

In line with the Make in India policy, Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has manufactured the 7,000th T/R (transmit/receive) module for the RBE2 radar on-board the Dassault Aviation Rafale, and delivered it to Thales. 

Thales is demonstrating its commitment to the Make in India policy through transfers of technology and production. This transfer has been growing since it was initiated in 2017 and has expanded both in scope and quantities. 

Thales is an active stakeholder in the Make in India policy of the Indian Government. In November 2020, the first RBE2 AESA (active electronic scanning array) radar with a front end manufactured by BEL in India was delivered by Thales to Dassault Aviation. Four years later, BEL is pleased to announce that the 7,000th transmit/receive module has been produced and delivered to Thales. This is only an intermediate milestone of a long-term successful collaboration.

This Thales-BEL cooperation has been expanded with the start-of-the production of advanced technological microwave modules dedicated to the Rafale SPECTRA EW (Electronic Warfare) suite.

AESA RBE2

Specifically developed for Rafale, the RBE2 is the first in-service European AESA radar and has been combat proven on Rafale aircraft operated by the French Air Force and the French Navy. It was developed in close partnership with Dassault Aviation and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to meet the requirements of air forces, and uses innovative technologies to combine advanced fire control radar functions and target tracking capabilities. The T/R (transmit/receive) modules are key to the RBE2 radar’s active electronic scanning performance, enabling it to steer the radar beam with the speed of an electronic chip. 

Building on Thales’s 50+ years of expertise with earlier generations of radars for combat aircraft, the RBE2 gives the Rafale a number of key advantages. Compared to radars with conventional antennas, the RBE2 delivers an unprecedented level of tactical situational awareness, faster detection and tracking of multiple targets, and can also implement several radar modes instantaneously. 

"Thales and Bharat Electronics Limited are long-standing partners with several technological collaborations to their credit. The manufacturing of T/R modules by BEL for Thales’s RBE2 radar is a key reference, and the recent delivery of the 7,000th T/R module a remarkable milestone. This achievement not only reflects our collective commitment to 'Make in India' but also highlights the successful transfer of technology and production, with BEL meeting the highest international standards of industrial excellence. We will continue to develop cutting-edge technologies and strengthen local capabilities in India to further contribute to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision," said Mr Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO, Thales International. 

“We are proud to have successfully delivered the 7000th T/R module for the RBE2 radar to Thales. This marks a significant step in our partnership with Thales and underscores our dedication to enhancing India’s Defence capabilities. Through our close collaboration with Thales, we continue to implement world-class industrial practices and develop advanced technological expertise in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” said Mr Manoj Jain, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL. 

BEL signs MoU with EndureAir Systems

BEL and EndureAir Systems Pvt Ltd have signed an MoU to co-operate and work together for the joint development, manufacture, marketing and sales of Vertical Take-off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Systems.

The MoU, announced at Aero India 2025, aims at leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and EndureAir Systems Pvt Ltd for the joint development of Medium and High Altitude Logistic (Cargo), Micro, Nano and Tethered Drones for surveillance and military applications. 

BEL, Mitsubishi Electric & MEMCO ink Tripartite MoU

BEL and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Mitsubishi Electric), Tokyo, Japan, and MEMCO Associates India Private Limited (MEMCO), Bengaluru, have signed a tripartite MoU to collaborate and explore business in select domains of Defence and Space. 

The MoU, announced at Aero India 2025, is envisaged to exploit business opportunities with Mitsubishi Electric in contract manufacturing and supply of customised components for Defence and Space domains such as Radars, Electronic Warfare systems and Space Situational Awareness. The collaboration will give a boost to indigenous manufacturing in India, in line with the Government’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. 

The MoU will leverage the complementary strengths of BEL and Mitsubishi Electric, explore Transfer of Technology, increasing cost-effectiveness of products and various other means to develop and supply state-of-the-art products and solutions for Indian, Japanese and international markets. 

BEL signs MoU with Godrej & Boyce

BEL has signed an MoU with Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd, Mumbai, for co-operation in various platforms of Defence.

The MoU, announced at Aero India 2025, aims at leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd. BEL with its extensive design and manufacturing facilities in mechanical, electronics and software domain, and Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd with its strong expertise in the manufacturing of critical assemblies for Defence, aircraft and space applications will co-operate and work together in areas/programmes related to Weapon Systems, Missile systems, Space & ground applications, engines for missiles and spacecraft, UAVs, Decoy Launchers, etc. 

HAL and Safran Aircraft Engines  Sign Long Term Contract for LEAP Engine

HAL signed a long-term contract with Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE), the world's leading Aircraft engine maker for supply of turbine forged parts for their LEAP engines during Aero India 2025 here today.

An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed between the two companies in October 2023, to develop industrial cooperation with commercial engine parts manufacturing, as part of the Indian Government's “Make in India” policy. This is the first contract as part of this Industrial co-operation.

Under the terms of this contract, HAL will produce forged parts for LEAP Engine at its state-of-the-art Ring Rolling facility at Foundry & Forge Division in Bengaluru, supporting LEAP program's ramp-up for global airline requirements.

The Contract is signed by Mr Anil Kumar, General Manager, Foundry & Forge Division of HAL in presence of Mr Jayakrishnan.S, CEO (Bangalore Complex), HAL and Mr Dominique Dupuy, Purchasing VP of Safran Aircraft Engines.

“Safran and HAL are having a long-standing relationship enriched over the past few decades through the joint development of the “Shakti” helicopter engine, which also paved the way for co-design and co-development of the IMRH engine. We are delighted to take this collaboration to the next level and support their LEAP engine production with critical Nickel Ring forgings”, said Dr. D K Sunil, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL.

"We are very enthusiastic about continuing this partnership with HAL," said Dominique Dupuy, Safran Aircraft Engines' Purchasing VP. "We are perfectly in line with the objectives set out in our 2023 agreement for the production of forged parts".

India is CFM's third largest market in terms of the number of engines in service, with 75% of the Indian commercial fleet equipped with CFM engines. Today, of the 500 aircraft operated by 7 Indian airlines with CFM engines, over 370 are LEAP-powered, and over 2,000 engines on order are for Indian airlines. Safran Aircraft Engines is strengthening its foot print in India with five production units and the sixth unit dedicated to LEAP engine maintenance is planned at Hyderabad.

Bharat Forge and VEDA Aeronautics (P) Ltd. Collaborate on Unamanned System

Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL), global aerospace and technology Indian company and VEDA Aeronautics (P) Ltd (VEDA), an Indian Aerospace & Defence company involved in development and supply of Unmanned Systems, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop state-of[1]the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) & other High-Speed Aerial Weapon systems used in the battlefield. While VEDA has been engaged in shaping the unmanned system technology for defence services, BFL will supply the micro jet engines used in these unmanned systems. The MoU is expected to play a vital role in leveraging each other’s capabilities to strengthen India’s defense capabilities and contributing to national self-reliance.

Guru Biswal, CEO-Aerospace Division, Bharat Forge said, "This MoU with VEDA is a testimony of our commitment to work for an "Atmanirbhar Bharat", and to create niche technologies that shall support Indian and Global requirements in the evolving technological landscape of warfare. BFL will focus on indigenous development of jet engines upto 400 Kgf thrust to power the unmanned systems developed for Indian defence forces. The 40 & 45 Kgf engines developed by BFL are under serial production and will be used by VEDA for all defence projects.

Dipesh Gupta, Managing Director of VEDA Aeronautics, said: "We are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with BFL aerospace which will supply small jet engines for all defence & other unmanned system projects of VEDA Aeronautics. This endeavor underscores our unwavering commitment to innovation, heralding a new era of technological advancement and strategic prowess in the aerospace domain specific to Long Range Combat UAV Systems, High Speed Aerial Targets and Multi Barrel Launched Jet Based UAV Systems.