iDEX-DIO & EdCIL Join Hands for Dual-Use Tech via ASPIRE

RR Team

3 months ago

New Delhi, 10 September 2025: Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) – Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) has signed a landmark MoU with EdCIL (India) Limited to develop dual-use technologies under the new ASPIRE (Accelerating Strategic Progress in Research and Education) program. The collaboration aims to merge defence expertise with cutting-edge ed-tech solutions, boosting India’s indigenous technology capabilities.

The MoU was signed in New Delhi by Joint Secretary (DIP) & Additional CEO of DIO, Shri Amit Satija, and Joint Secretary (TEL), Ministry of Education & CMD of EdCIL, Shri Govind Jaiswal. This partnership extends iDEX’s innovation model into the civilian sector, leveraging both organisations’ expertise to address critical technological challenges and create scalable, impactful innovations for India’s start-up ecosystem.

About iDEX-DIO

Launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2018, iDEX has transformed India’s defence innovation landscape. The initiative engages over 650 start-ups and MSMEs and has facilitated procurement clearances worth over Rs 3,250 crore for 50 products. Orders worth Rs 1,652 crore have already been placed for 36 products developed under iDEX, significantly enhancing India’s defence capabilities.

About EdCIL (India) Limited

EdCIL (India) Limited is a profit-making, Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE under the Ministry of Education. It provides consultancy, project management, and ed-tech solutions across India and internationally. Between FY 2014-15 and FY 2023-24, EdCIL achieved a remarkable 24% CAGR, growing revenue from Rs 74 crore to Rs 655 crore, demonstrating its expertise and capacity for large-scale educational projects. [Source: EdCIL]

Driving Innovation and Strategic Growth

The ASPIRE program aims to accelerate strategic research and education by linking India’s defence innovation ecosystem with emerging civilian technologies. The iDEX-DIO & EdCIL collaboration will help start-ups and innovators develop dual-use technologies, ensuring innovations have both civilian and defence applications. This initiative reinforces India’s commitment to becoming self-reliant in advanced technologies, while empowering domestic start-ups and MSMEs to scale globally.