From AI to drones, this is what 89 start-ups pitched to the Indian Army — 13 proposals shortlisted

In a push to Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and promote an innovation ecosystem, 89 start-ups pitched their indigenous innovations, ideas and proposals to the Indian Army, which has now shortlisted 13 proposals to examine their viability and applicability.

The Army has conducted an outreach webinar for these start-ups in emerging technologies in collaboration with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), during which the start-ups pitched their proposals through virtual presentations from December 17 to 28.

The proposals focused on drones, counter-drones, robotics, autonomous systems, Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain technology, 3D printing, nanotechnology and medical applications.

The webinar, organised by the Army Design Bureau (ADB), received a massive response, with prospective users and domain specialists from the Army Headquarters and Army Training Command present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Army deputy chief Lt Gen SS Hasabnis underlined the importance of self-reliance in the defence sector and called upon the defence industry, particularly the start-ups, to invest in emerging and niche technologies.

He also assured the start-ups that the Indian Army will assist and handhold them in co-developing innovations and technologies that can enhance operational capabilities of the Army.