iDEX
The Ministry of Defence's flagship innovation programme — grants of up to ₹25 crore for Indian defence-tech startups via the Defence Innovation Organisation.
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), launched in 2018 and operated through the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), is the principal entry point for Indian defence-tech startups into the Ministry of Defence procurement ecosystem. The programme works through challenge rounds — the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) — in which the Services and DPSUs publish problem statements and invite Indian startups to propose solutions.
iDEX grant cheques are typically in the ₹1.5 crore to ₹10 crore range for prototypes; the ADITI deep-tech expansion, introduced in 2024 and scaled in 2025, brings the upper limit to ₹25 crore for longer-cycle technology development. The strategic value of an iDEX win is not just the cheque — it is the structured partnership with a Service or DPSU end-user, which positions the startup for an eventual MAKE-II procurement order at much larger scale.
For the defence-simulator category specifically, multiple iDEX problem statements have addressed synthetic training, AR/VR maintenance training, helmet-mounted display performance and unmanned-platform pilot training. The platform-scale case for indigenous combat simulation maps cleanly onto the iDEX ecosystem.