Defence Procurement, iDEX and Testing Procedures Workshop to Boost MSME and Start-up Participation
New Delhi, June 10: In a move aimed at strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing and expanding industry participation, a two-day workshop on Defence Procurement, Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Technology Perspective Capability Roadmap (TPCR), and Testing Procedures for MSMEs and Start-ups will be held at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment, on June 11–12, 2026.
The programme is being jointly organised by the Indigenisation Directorate of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS). It seeks to increase awareness among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups while encouraging their greater involvement in India’s evolving defence ecosystem.
The workshop will serve as an interactive platform where industry representatives can gain practical insights into defence procurement policies, indigenisation initiatives, the iDEX framework, testing and certification mechanisms, and the Technology Perspective Capability Roadmap. Senior officials and experts from HQ IDS, Service Headquarters, the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA), iDEX-Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and other stakeholder organisations will engage directly with participants during the sessions.
The inaugural session will feature addresses by Air Marshal Praveen Keshav Vohra, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy Planning & Force Development), and Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar (Retd), Director General of CENJOWS.
On the first day, discussions will focus on the Defence Acquisition Procedure, procurement categories, revenue procurement parameters, indigenisation reforms, the SRIJAN portal, import substitution mapping, and intellectual property rights.
The second day’s agenda will cover iDEX initiatives, prototype development, testing and evaluation procedures, certification systems, user trials, environmental testing, the role of DRDO in research and development, and technology readiness levels. A dedicated session on the Technology Perspective Capability Roadmap (TPCR) and a panel discussion featuring venture capitalists are also scheduled.
Organisers have designed the workshop to address practical challenges faced by MSMEs and start-ups through interactive discussions and dedicated question-and-answer sessions. The initiative is expected to further support the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision in defence manufacturing while fostering closer collaboration between the Armed Forces and the domestic industry.
