In a push towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Innovations for Defence Excellence – Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) and EdCIL (India) Limited have signed an MoU to jointly develop dual-use technologies under the newly launched ASPIRE (Accelerating Strategic Progress in Research and Education) program.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi on September 9, 2025, by Shri Amit Satija, Joint Secretary (DIP) & Additional CEO, DIO, and Shri Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary (TEL), Ministry of Education & CMD, EdCIL. The collaboration aims to extend iDEX’s defence innovation model to the civilian sector, fostering scalable solutions by leveraging India’s start-up ecosystem.
Launched in 2018, iDEX is currently engaged with over 650 start-ups and MSMEs, with procurement orders worth Rs 1,652 crore placed for 36 products developed under its framework. EdCIL, a Mini Ratna CPSE under the Ministry of Education, has achieved a 24% CAGR over the last decade, with revenues rising from Rs 74 crore in FY15 to Rs 655 crore in FY24.