The Startup Mahakumbh 2025 continued to build strong momentum with the spotlight on the Defence, Space & B2B, Precision Manufacturing Pavilion — a dynamic showcase of India's deep-tech and strategic innovation. As the global community increasingly looks toward India for next-generation solutions in aerospace, defence technologies, B2B, and precision manufacturing, this pavilion emerged as a catalyst for critical collaborations between startups, government bodies, industry leaders, and investors.

The iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) is pioneering initiatives to drive India's defence ecosystem initiated by Ministry of Defence

During the keynote at B2B, Precision Manufacturing, defence and Spacetech pavilion at Startup Mahakumbh, Amit Satija, IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India said, "The iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) is pioneering initiatives to drive India's defence ecosystem initiated by Ministry of Defence. It aims to nurture innovation and technology development in aerospace and defence through collaboration with startups, MSMEs, individual innovators, and academia. So far, iDEX has collaborated with thousands of startups and more than 450 projects also under the initiative of iDEX investor hubs. ₹445 crore has been invested in iDEX winners, reflecting investors' confidence in iDEX-based innovations.

To advance space activities in India, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) announced the signing of the MoU with the Defence Technology Development Fund and the Directorate of Research and Development

The startups will drive Viksit Bharat, a tech-savvy, self-reliant, and globally innovative India. Strengthening deep-tech entrepreneurship, R&D, and indigenous solutions will transform our defence industry into one of the top global exporters. "I am happy to say that we again crossed the boundary last year's defence export was ₹21,000 crore. Now, this year, we have reached around ₹23,600 crore. So, with your help, this boundary is getting crossed every year, and we wish to export ₹50,000 crore by 2028/29. So let this Startup Mahakumbh be the birthplace of game-changing ideas that shape our nation's security and prosperity," Satija said.

In a development that aims to facilitate technical knowledge sharing, expert support, and overall facilitation to advance space activities in India, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe) announced the signing of the MoU with the Defence Technology Development Fund and the Directorate of Research and Development to support Startups and MSMEs under the Dare to Dream contest and the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme for Defence Space Technologies.

The TDF scheme's Director Nidhi Bansal put forth the immense opportunities for the Startups in defence and how TDF is planning to fund, support & nurture such Startups in India

The TDF scheme's Director Nidhi Bansal put forth the immense opportunities for the startups in defence and how TDF is planning to fund support & nurture such Startups in India. Nidhi Basal also mentioned the standards for the defence startups as it is also a matter of national security. She said: "We all can see how these defence startups built hi-tech systems in aerospace under the TDF support. We welcome such innovation, and ready to fund."

The discussion reinforced the strategic importance of deep-tech startups in strengthening India's self-reliance in defence and aerospace

The key discussion & focus area of the Startup Mahakumbh took place in the panel on - Bridging the Innovation Gap: Strengthening Collaboration with Startup - Industry - Academia for Development of Critical and Deep Tech Technology – moderated by Manish Kumar Jha, Consulting & Contributing Editor, SP Guide Publications and the session was chaired by Subrata Rakshit (Retd) (Distinguished Scientist and Director General, Technology Management (TM), DRDO) along with fellow panellists, including Brig. Adarsh Bhardwaj (Executive Director, Azista BST Aerospace Pvt Ltd), Col. Krishna Deepak (HQ IDS (FT)), G.S. Narayan (Tejase Aerosense), Nidhi Bansal (Director, Technology Development Fund), and Tanveer Ahmed (Co-founder and CTO, Digantara).

Manish Kumar Jha, in the session, highlighted the government's role in accelerating startup growth, the critical shift towards deep-tech ventures, and the necessity of a strong academic ecosystem. Moreover, it emphasised policy support, financial backing, and fostering young entrepreneurs without financial burdens emerged as key drivers of growth.

"Unlike consumer startups, defence and space ventures demand specialised knowledge and sustained investment. The discussion reinforced the strategic importance of deep-tech startups in strengthening India's self-reliance in defence and aerospace," Jha remarked over the standards that are required, especially in defence and aerospace.

So far, iDEX has collaborated with thousands of startups and more than 450 projects also under the initiative of iDEX investor hubs

From the keynote addresses to deep-dive panel discussions and tech showcases, Startup Mahakumbh 2025 reaffirmed India's commitment to becoming a powerhouse in deep-tech, defence, and strategic enterprise manufacturing. With bold vision and collaborative action, the event paved the way for startups to not only solve national challenges but also emerge as global champions of innovation.

Manish Kumar Jha is a Consulting & Contributing Editor for SP's Aviation, SP's Land Forces and SP's Naval Forces and a security expert. He writes on national security, military technology, strategic affairs & policies.