What is the role that startups and MSMEs play in reshaping the ecosystem by advancing crucial technologies? And what are the challenges, opportunities and expectations from the government? This was the topic of the final panel discussion at THE WEEK’s Defence Conclave 2025.
The panelists included Maj RajPrasad RS, Service Innovator, Army Design Bureau; Commodore Arun P. Golaya, former OIC, Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC), Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation; Professor Manan Suri of IIT Delhi; Abhishek Jain, founder chairman, startup forum, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM); Rini Bansal, director, Carbon Light; Dr Rashi Mehrotra, director, AiKairos; and Dr Nagendra Babu Samineni, MD, Unistring Tech.
The panelists agreed that the Indian government has provided crucial support through strategic collaborations and R&D. The government’s confidence in the startups has increased significantly. As Golaya said, there couldn’t be a better time to be a startup in India. However, he had some caveats. He said the government must listen more to the startups. “From AI to robotics, they know the field better,” he said.
The panelists also felt that while the experience has gotten better for startups when it comes to prototyping and the interaction of the user community with developers, there is still some way to go when it comes to contracting, induction and scaling. Scaling and digitisation, felt Suri, are extremely important.
He also suggested a progressive IPR policy. “Let innovators hold the IPR,” he said. “They must have flexibility with their IPR.”
Bansal, who works on developing advanced material, said that material science is a fundamental building block of any technology. In the last two decades, India has started investing a lot more in material science, but countries like China, Germany and the US are far ahead.
Other takeaways included the importance of believing in our traditional tech while adapting to future technology; looking at investing in Indian startups as a nation-building exercise even if there is a risk factor; faster timelines in procurement; and ensuring continuity of orders for the startups and MSMEs. If an Israeli company comes up with a product with 60 to 70 per cent capabilities of a world product, Israel will prefer that company, with an eye to the future, something India can imitate, felt the speakers.
