Have barely scratched the surface, much potential for deeper collaboration: US experts on Indo-US initiative for defence production
US India Strategic Partnership Forum spoke with ET on potential of the partnership and what to expect from the meeting of top military manufacturers, startups and venture capital firms that are gathering at the Stanford university to identify future military challenges, emerging disruptive technologies and jointly develop solutions for the armed forces.
Particular interest is expected in startups that have focused on Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and autonomous systems. The summit will take forward the top level Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (ICET) initiative signed between the two nations.
Question: What is the idea behind the INDUS-X summit and what outcomes are hoped to be achieved?
Mukesh Aghi, President USISPF: This edition of INDUS-X is themed “harnessing investment opportunities to enhance cross-border defense innovation ecosystems". It is an exciting intersection since this is the first time INDUS-X is being hosted at Stanford and Silicon Valley, which will be the link for startups and VCs with the defense industry and policymakers and fortify defenses in the 21st-century era of autonomous weapons and new threats.
INDUS-X is a pillar and a bridge between American and Indian defense innovation. Apart from MOUs between the governments, INDUS-X will raise questions as well as find solutions to pertinent questions — can we build a robust defense ecosystem in India? How can we strengthen the startup ecosystem in India? How can we connect VCs, academia, and startups to policymakers in
