Swavlamban 2023 - Indian Navy’s NIIO Seminar

The 2nd Edition of the Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation (NIIO) Seminar, titled ‘Swavlamban 2023,’ is scheduled to take place on October 4-5, 2023. In the inaugural edition of the seminar held in July 2022, the Hon’ble Prime Minister launched 75 challenges for start-ups and MSMEs as part of the ‘SPRINT’ initiative. These ‘SPRINT Challenges’ are designed to promote the use of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy, and the Navy has committed to developing at least 75 technologies and products as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative. This event aims to foster innovation and indigenization within the Indian Navy and strengthen its technological capabilities.

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SPRINT Initiative

The SPRINT initiative, which stands for Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO, and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC), is a collaborative effort involving the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). This initiative has garnered significant interest, with 1106 proposals submitted.

Following a thorough evaluation, 113 winners in the DISC 7 SPRINT category (with grants up to 1.5 crores) and 5 winners in the DISC 7 SPRINT-PRIME category (with grants up to 10 crores) were announced. These winners are currently working on developing prototypes. Over 100 developmental agreements have been established between iDEX and industry, with active participation from the Indian Navy, iDEX, start-ups, and MSMEs.

Various niche technologies are being advanced through this initiative, including blue-green lasers for underwater applications, autonomous weaponized swarms and underwater swarm drones, multiple firefighting aids, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for various applications, and the development of an ultra-endurance small drone for maritime missions.

Swavlamban-2023

These 75 prototypes, along with live demonstrations of promising technologies, are planned to be showcased during the “Swavlamban-2023” event scheduled for October 4-5, 2023, in New Delhi. This event will provide a platform to highlight the innovative and indigenous technologies being developed in collaboration with the Indian Navy and the iDEX initiative.

About Swavlamban 2022

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi introduced the ‘SPRINT Challenges’ during the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ in New Delhi on July 18, 2022.

The two-day ‘Swavlamban’ seminar took place on July 18-19, 2022, with the objective of involving Indian industry and academia in the pursuit of self-reliance in the Defense sector. It served as a platform for leaders from industry, academia, the armed forces, and the government to collaborate and generate recommendations for the Defense Sector. The seminar included dedicated sessions on Innovation, Indigenisation, Armament, and Aviation. The second day of the seminar focused on outreach to the Indian Ocean Region, aligning with the government’s vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).’

Objective

These challenges are designed to promote the adoption of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy, aligning with the goal of achieving self-reliance in defense and commemorating the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.’ The collaborative project, named SPRINT (Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence), involves NIIO, the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), and the Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC). The aim is to introduce at least 75 new indigenous technologies and products into the Indian Navy.

The pursuit of self-reliance in India’s defense forces is of paramount importance in the 21st century. Organizing the inaugural ‘Swavlamban’ seminar for a self-reliant Navy represents a significant step in this direction. The commitment to develop 75 indigenous technologies during this period of making new resolutions for India is not only inspiring but also demonstrates confidence that this goal will be achieved in the near future.

Shubham Mittal

Shubham Mittal is a renowned current affairs writer and expert in government exam preparation, inspiring readers with insightful articles and guiding aspirants with his expertise.

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