Stimulating innovation and self-reliance in defense

Technology Development Fund (TDF): Fostering Defense Innovation and Self-relianceTechnology Development Fund (TDF): Fostering Defense Innovation and Self-reliance The Technology Development Fund (TDF), a flagship program under the “Make in India” initiative, is spearheaded by the Ministry of Defence and implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Program Objectives: * Subsidize research and development of defense and dual-use technologies in India * Encourage industry participation, particularly start-ups and SMEs * Establish an ecosystem for advanced technology development and self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in defense Success Stories: Combat Robotics, Pune * Developed an innovative multi-domain unmanned vehicle simulator for developing autonomous systems * Supported by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), DRDO ChiStats Labs Private Limited, Pune * Projects: * Virtual sensors for monitoring aero gas turbine engines * Tools for data assessment, active learning, and credibility for visual data * Supported by Gas Turbine Research Establishment, DRDO * Winner of the Dare to Dream 2.0 Innovation competition NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru * Developed an advanced UAV capable of exploring indoor environments in zero light * Guided by CAIR, Bengaluru Program Impact: * 77 projects approved with over Rs 300 crore allocation * 27 defense technologies successfully implemented * Promotes innovation and technological advancement among Indian industries * Supports the government’s vision of self-sufficiency in defense Key Features of TDF: * Provides financial assistance to eligible organizations for research and development * Facilitates collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions * Focuses on niche technologies for the first time in India * Aims to bridge the gap between defense forces, research bodies, and private sector

The Technology Development Fund (TDF) programme encourages participation of public/private industries, particularly start-ups and SMEs, to create an ecosystem aimed at enhancing capabilities in advanced technology and promoting ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. The TDF programme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Defence implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Till date, a total of 77 projects, with an allocation of over Rs 300 crore, have been approved for various industries and 27 defence technologies have been successfully implemented under the scheme.

Below you will find the success stories of some start-ups under the TDF scheme:

1. Combat Robotics, Pune

Combat Robotics, the Pune-based startup, has successfully developed an innovative unmanned vehicle simulator. It is a multi-domain simulator that supports unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and serves as an excellent development tool for agencies working on developing autonomous systems.

The simulator offers comprehensive environmental modeling, scenario and vehicle modeling and intuitive control systems with developer documentation. It is designed to meet the requirements of testing and validating the autonomous behavior of unmanned vehicles in multiple domains. It has been developed under the aegis of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), a Bengaluru-based laboratory of DRDO.

2. ChiStats Labs Private Limited, Pune

• Virtual sensors for monitoring the health of aero gas turbine engines: The project involves the development of a comprehensive diagnostic system of various components of Aero Gas Turbine Engine (AGTE), which will lead to increased operational reliability and engine life. The system is built on stronger foundations of modern Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologies. It efficiently processes large-scale data and performs operational assessments quickly with a high degree of accuracy. The virtual sensor framework is developed indigenously.

The technology has been successfully developed under the technical guidance and mentorship of Gas Turbine Research Establishment, a Bengaluru-based laboratory of DRDO. ChiStats Labs Private Limited is a start-up in the field of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and the winner of the Dare to Dream 2.0 Innovation competition of DRDO.

• Tools for data assessment, active learning and credibility for visual data: This groundbreaking project aims to improve AI model validation and optimization for defense applications. It will facilitate collaboration between scientists through shared and reproducible experiments. All tools are accessible via a user-friendly web interface.

The project focuses on developing a comprehensive framework to address the unique challenges posed by the vast amounts of data generated in defence scenarios. It consists of four major modules: Data/Feature Assessment, Active Learning, AI Believability and Web Application. It will enable defence organisations to build more accurate, reliable and efficient AI models, leading to improved decision-making and enhanced capabilities in various critical applications. CAIR, Bengaluru was instrumental in guiding and monitoring the project.

3. NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

The Bengaluru-based startup has developed an advanced UAV capable of exploring indoor environments under various conditions including zero light, under the project ‘Autonomous Drone as First Responder for Search and Report Operations in Enclosed/Indoor Environments’. The project focuses on developing Indoor UAV integrated with autonomous navigation stack, onboard object detection module and localization fallback mechanism integrated with flight control firmware. Integration with autonomous navigation stack includes 3D mapping, reconnaissance algorithm and AI/ML engine.

The success of the project opens up possibilities for various applications including search and rescue, surveillance, industrial inspections, environmental monitoring and exploration of hazardous environments, contributing significantly to technological advancement in unmanned aerial vehicles. The technology has been developed under the technical guidance and mentorship of CAIR, Bengaluru.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat has congratulated the start-ups and DRDO labs involved in these projects. These achievements mark DRDO’s successful attempt to promote the industry in realising Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, he said.

The main objectives of the TDF programme are:

• Providing subsidies to Indian industries including SMEs and start-ups as well as academic and scientific institutions for the development of defence and dual-use technologies that are currently not available to the Indian defence industry.
• Collaborate with the private sector, especially SMEs and start-ups, to introduce the culture of design and development of military technology and support them with grants.
• The focus is on research, design and development of niche technologies that are being developed for the first time in the country.
• To bridge the gap between the armed forces, research institutions, academia and qualifying/certifying bodies and private sector organizations.