Defence Innovation Organisation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Defence Innovation Organisation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Defence Innovation Organisation
- Legal name
- Defence Innovation Organisation
- Website
- https://idex.gov.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Defence Innovation Organisation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defence Innovation and Technology Acceleration
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), International Affairs (92812), Public Administration (92)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Defense R&D, Test, Evaluation & Innovation (BPAIAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG)
Keywords
Where Defence Innovation Organisation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Delhi
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Defence Innovation Organisation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Grants and funding disbursed to startups/MSMEs, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Funding: iDEX operates as a government-funded initiative under Ministry of Defence, providing grants to startups and MSMEs for defence R&D. Grant amounts range up to Rs. 1.5 crore for DISC challenges and Rs. 10 crore for iDEX PRIME challenges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | DISC Challenge Grants - Up to Rs. 1.5 crore |
| Other | Multi-year contract | iDEX PRIME Grants - Rs. 10 crore |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Defence Innovation Organisation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) operates the iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) programme, a Government of India–backed platform that runs challenge-based innovation contests to source defence and dual-use technology solutions from startups, MSMEs, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia. Winners receive grant funding (up to Rs. 1.5 crore under DISC and up to Rs. 10 crore under iDEX PRIME) for prototype development, with successful solutions receiving a direct procurement pathway into the Indian Armed Forces and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
Product overview
Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX) operates as a government-supported defence innovation accelerator platform, not a traditional product company. It functions as a matchmaking hub connecting Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Defence Public Sector Undertakings, and Ministry of Defence with the Indian startup/MSME ecosystem. The platform runs multiple challenge programs—DISC (Defence India Startup Challenge) editions, ADITI scheme, iDEX PRIME, iDEX SPRINT, DRISHTI Challenges, and Mission DefSpace—each offering grant-based funding (ranging from Rs. 1.5 Crore to Rs. 10 Crore) for prototype development and commercialization of defence technologies. Partner Incubators across India provide mentorship and infrastructure support. Technology domains span AI/ML, drones, communications, radar, naval systems, aerospace, cybersecurity, quantum technology, and more. The platform does not develop or sell proprietary products itself; instead, it funds and facilitates defence innovation by the startup ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DISC (Defence India Startup Challenge): Flagship challenge programme for startups/MSMEs/Innovators to create prototypes and commercialize products in National Defence and Security.
- ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX)
- iDEX PRIME
- INDUS X
- DRISHTI
Products and services
- Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC)
- ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX)
- iDEX PRIME
- iDEX SPRINT
- Open Challenge
- DRISHTI Challenges
- INDUS X
- Mission DefSpace
- iDEX Partner Incubator Program
- iDEX Srijan
Quantifiable outcome
- 350+ contracts signed with iDEX winners
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Defence Innovation Organisation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Defence Innovation Organisation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability10 records
Feature1 record
Defence Innovation Organisation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EdCIL (India) Ltd.coreiDEX-DIO signed an MoU with EdCIL (India) Ltd. under the ASPIRE program to foster dual-use technologies. The MoU was signed by Joint Secretary (DIP) & Additional CEO, DIO Shri Amit Satija and Joint Secretary (TEL), Ministry of Education.
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)coreiDEX is partnered with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog for the Defence India Startup Challenge, aimed at supporting Startups/MSMEs/Innovators to create prototypes and commercialize products in the area of National Defence and Security.
- IIM Ahmedabad (Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship)corePartner Incubator providing discovery, exploration and mentorship to startups/MSMEs for co-creating innovative Defence Technologies under iDEX
- IIT Bombay (SINE - Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship)corePartner Incubator providing discovery, exploration and mentorship to startups/MSMEs for co-creating innovative Defence Technologies under iDEX
- THub HyderabadcorePartner Incubator providing discovery, exploration and mentorship to startups/MSMEs for co-creating innovative Defence Technologies under iDEX
- Coimbatore Innovation Business Incubator (CIBI) / FORGEcorePartner Incubator providing discovery, exploration and mentorship to startups/MSMEs for co-creating innovative Defence Technologies under iDEX
- IIT Madras (Incubation Cell)corePartner Incubator providing incubation support to defence startups under iDEX
- FITT IIT DelhicorePartner Incubator providing incubation support to defence startups under iDEX
- Technology Development Fund (TDF)minorDRDO's Technology Development Fund linked as a resource for defence innovation ecosystem
- US Department of Defense / Tawazun Economic CouncilminorINDUS X initiative - bilateral innovation partnership between India and US for defence technology collaboration
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Defence Innovation Organisation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation): India's primary defence R&D agency under the Ministry of Defence. Adjacent to but distinct from iDEX — both operate under MoD to fund defence technology development, but DRDO is the legacy in-house R&D establishment while iDEX engages the external startup ecosystem. TDF is DRDO's closest analog to iDEX's grant model.
- Australian Defence Innovation Hub: Australian DoD initiative funding innovative research and technology ideas from industry, academia, and overseas. Comparable as a government-funded defence innovation sourcing mechanism with grants and contracting pathways.
- Israel Innovation Authority - Defense Programs: Israel's national innovation funding body with dedicated defense R&D tracks, including MAGNET and other consortia programs. Comparable as a government-backed defense innovation funding mechanism, with similar dual-use technology focus and bilateral partnership orientation.
- Singapore DSTA (Defence Science and Technology Agency): Singapore's defence technology agency acquiring and developing defence capabilities. Comparable as a government defence innovation entity, though DSTA focuses more on direct procurement and capability development versus iDEX's startup-ecosystem intermediation model.
Regional players
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Indian Government initiative under NITI Aayog promoting innovation across sectors. Operational partner of iDEX for the Defence India Startup Challenge but not a defence-specific peer; included as a regional ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency): The US Department of Defense agency responsible for driving breakthrough R&D for national security. Directly comparable to iDEX as a government-backed defence innovation organization funding high-risk, high-reward technology development, though DARPA operates at significantly larger scale and budget.
- AFWERX: The US Air Force's innovation arm running challenge-based programs connecting airmen, entrepreneurs, and industry to solve operational problems. Directly comparable to iDEX's challenge-driven model (DISC, ADITI) engaging startups and innovators against service-defined problem statements.
- Defense Innovation Unit (DIU): US DoD organization accelerating the adoption of commercial technology into military systems. Comparable to iDEX in bridging the gap between startups/commercial innovators and defence procurement, with similar challenge-based sourcing and accelerator programs.
- DASA (Defence and Security Accelerator): UK Ministry of Defence organization funding innovative ideas that could become products for defence and security. Directly comparable challenge-based funding model with grants aimed at academia, SMEs, and industry for defence innovation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Defence Innovation Organisation social profiles
Digital presenceDefence Innovation Organisation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Defence Innovation Organisation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Defence Innovation Organisation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Defence Innovation Organisation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments9 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Defence Innovation Organisation
What does Defence Innovation Organisation do?
Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) operates the iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) programme, a Government of India–backed platform that runs challenge-based innovation contests to source defence and dual-use technology solutions from startups, MSMEs, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia. Winners receive grant funding (up to Rs. 1.5 crore under DISC and up to Rs. 10 crore under iDEX PRIME) for prototype development, with successful solutions receiving a direct procurement pathway into the Indian Armed Forces and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
Is Defence Innovation Organisation a public or private company?
Defence Innovation Organisation is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Defence Innovation Organisation founded?
Defence Innovation Organisation was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Defence Innovation Organisation based?
Defence Innovation Organisation is headquartered in New Delhi, India, in the Asia region.
How does Defence Innovation Organisation make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Grants and Funding.
Who are Defence Innovation Organisation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), Australian Defence Innovation Hub, Israel Innovation Authority - Defense Programs and Singapore DSTA (Defence Science and Technology Agency). Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), AFWERX, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and DASA (Defence and Security Accelerator).
Does Defence Innovation Organisation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Defence Innovation Organisation.
What industry is Defence Innovation Organisation in?
Defence Innovation Organisation's product category is Defence Innovation and Technology Acceleration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAC, Defense R&D, Test, Evaluation & Innovation, with a secondary code of BPAIAIAG, Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 9721.