Hyderabad: Defence start-ups must move beyond prototype development and become suppliers of indigenous technologies to the armed forces, with Telangana positioning itself as a hub to facilitate this transition, speakers said at the National Defence Innovation Conclave 2026 held at T-Works in Hyderabad on Thursday.
The discussions focused on accelerating the movement of homegrown technologies from laboratories to deployment through collaboration among government, industry, researchers and investors. Participants said challenges in procurement, manufacturing, testing, certification, funding and intellectual property were limiting the ability of startups to scale and supply to the armed forces.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju said the state was building a competitive ecosystem around deep-tech innovation and advanced manufacturing. “Deep-tech innovation, advanced manufacturing and industry partnerships are key pillars for both economic growth and strengthening strategic capabilities,” he said.
Former Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman G. Satheesh Reddy said sustained investment in indigenous research and deep-tech startups was essential for strengthening defence preparedness. “Sustained investment in indigenous research, innovation and deep-tech startups is essential to strengthen India’s defence preparedness,” he said.
Information technology and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu said Telangana’s innovation ecosystem had gained momentum, with T-Works incubating nearly 70 startups over the past two years. “The National Defence Innovation Conclave gives young entrepreneurs, scientists and innovators a platform to showcase what they have built and become part of India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem while contributing to national safety and security,” he said.
The conclave featured participation from startups demonstrating technologies in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, drones, robotics, aerospace, defence electronics and advanced manufacturing. Discussions also covered procurement, indigenisation, venture capital and intellectual property, along with startup presentations and interactions with stakeholders from the ministry of defence, armed forces, DRDO, iDEX, industry and academia.
Participants said reducing the time taken for indigenous technologies to move from prototype to deployment would be critical to strengthening self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
• Nearly 70 start-ups incubated by T-Works in two years
• Focus on lab-to-field deployment
• Telangana positioning as defence tech hub
Technology areas
• Artificial Intelligence
• Semiconductors
• Drones
• Robotics
• Aerospace
• Defence electronics
• Advanced manufacturing
Main challenges
• Procurement delays
• Testing and certification
• Manufacturing scale-up
• Funding gaps
• Intellectual property issues
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
