The recent drone attack at an Air Force base in Jammu has put the spotlight on where India stands on deep tech and also if the startup space is alive to that question. Truth be told, this space has been witnessing a flurry of activities, signalling the onset of what’s being loosely termed as the ‘second startup revolution’. If the first was led by e-commerce and digital marketplaces, the second is being led by deep tech companies, even in sensitive sectors like defence and space. And since this impinges on national security, it has required the government to be both proactive and involved.
Innovative development and deployment of deep tech can tip the balance of power. Take the area of unmanned aerial surveillance and drones. They provide both defensive and offensive options without significantly raising the political costs of escalating any conflict. In India’s case, the urgency is underscored by the sheer need to constantly upgrade surveillance capabilities on its large tracts of borders as well as the expanse of its vast EEZ.
Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX), a…
