The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), in collaboration with Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation and the Hoover Institution, announced on Monday that the third edition of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) summit will be held on September 9-10 in California.
This event will be held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, bringing together leading defence policymakers from Washington and New Delhi with a central focus on strengthening defence and advanced technology innovative partnerships, according to the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum official statement.
Summit Focus and Goals
“The third summit is entitled ‘Harnessing Investment Opportunities to Enhance Cross-Border Defence Innovation Ecosystems’ and will focus on the critical role of private capital in advancing the defence innovation sector,” the statement added.
The event will facilitate interactions between American and Indian leaders in defence innovation, including startups, venture capitalists, academia, accelerators, and industry professionals, to foster co-production and investment opportunities.
The INDUS-X initiative is spearheaded by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) from the Indian Ministry of Defence, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Office of the Secretary of Defence (OSD) from the US Department of Defence.
Recent Developments and Key Statements
Further, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently concluded a successful four-day visit to Washington, DC.
During his visit, the Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J. Austin III.
Both leaders commended the efforts of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) in establishing a defence innovation bridge between the two countries.
Commenting on INDUS-X, Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister of India, said, “Indian and American startups and innovators are important to our national security. The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit gives technology leaders in India and the United States a vibrant platform to foster partnerships and collaborations in the defence sector. Wishing the event a grand success.”
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III said, “As the third INDUS-X summit kicks off with dozens of American and Indian innovators and defence leaders, I’m proud to see our investors, businesses, and researchers working under INDUS-X to address critical defence technology requirements and to co-produce cutting-edge military capabilities that will safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Both defence heads recognised INDUS-X’s role in creating robust networks across startups, industry, academia, and governments, accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, and enhancing the warfighting capabilities of both nations.
Summit Features and Activities
The summit will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions with leaders from both the private and public sectors touching on themes along the lines of strengthening defence and advanced technology partnerships, funding defence innovation, and resilient supply chains.
The INDUS-X Tech Expo will showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovations from defence and aerospace startups and companies in an event that will draw venture capital firms, academics, accelerators, and tech professionals from the Bay Area.
On Monday, an upgraded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between iDEX and DIU will be signed, along with the release of the “INDUS-X Impact Report–A Year of Breakthroughs,” and the launch of the official INDUS-X webpage on the iDEX and DIU websites.
In addition, the summit will witness the announcement of several key initiatives and the book launch of “Unit X,” by Raj Shah, Managing Partner of Shield Capital and former director of the Pentagon’s Defence Innovation Unit.
On Tuesday, the United States Institute of Peace will host INDUS-X leaders for the private Senior Leaders’ Forum with industry and academia.
USISPF Commitment
The third INDUS-X summit will further deepen and broaden the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India.
As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the US-India partnership in Washington, DC, and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organisations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States.
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