Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence, signed the landmark 350th contract in New Delhi.

The contract was inked with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd for the design and development of a ‘Miniaturised satellite capable of carrying Electro-Optical, Infrared, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and Hyperspectral payloads up to 150 kgs’. The 150th iDEX contract was signed in December 2022, and within a span of 18 months, the 350th contract was signed.

The contract was exchanged between Mr Anurag Bajpai, Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO, Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and Founder & CEO of SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd Awais Ahmed Nadeem Alduri in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and other senior civil & military officials of the Ministry of Defence.

SpacePixxel has been actively working to build and launch high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites to provide detailed earth observation data.

This 350th iDEX contract enables innovation in space electronics, wherein many payloads earlier deployed on dedicated large satellites are now being miniaturised. The modular small satellite will integrate multiple miniaturised payloads as per requirement, providing advantages like faster and more economical deployment, ease of manufacturing, scalability, adaptability, and less environmental impact.

The defence secretary appreciated the unwavering commitment of new defence innovators to pushing the boundaries of technology and safeguarding the nation. Emphasising the importance of combining indigenisation with innovation, he stated that domestic capabilities provide a foundation for fostering innovation by offering a platform for experimentation and development. Innovation fuels indigenisation by driving the creation of new technologies and solutions that can be produced domestically, he said, assuring all possible support to the innovators at every step.

iDEX, the recipient of the esteemed Prime Minister Award for Public Policy in the Innovation Category in 2021, has emerged as a game-changer in the defence ecosystem. Established by the DIO under the Department of Defence Production, iDEX has launched 11 editions of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC), and recently unveiled the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.