The National Defence Innovation Conclave 2026, hosted by T-Works, the Telangana government’s prototyping and manufacturing innovation centre, brought together senior leaders from the Armed Forces, the government, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), industry and the startup ecosystem, with a showcase of 42 defence startups incubated at the centre forming the centrepiece of the event.
The conclave was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, in the presence of Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Member, National Security Advisory Board and former Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, and Lt. Gen. Neeraj Varshney, Commandant, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering. IT Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu attended as chief guest, and the event was also addressed by Giridhar Aramane, former Defence Secretary, Government of India.
Startups span AI to space technology
The 42 startups showcased at the conclave presented indigenous technologies spanning artificial intelligence, semiconductors, autonomous systems, drones, robotics, aerospace, defence electronics, simulation, advanced manufacturing, battery technologies and space technologies, officials said, describing the showcase as a demonstration of India’s growing capability to design, develop and manufacture defence technologies indigenously.
In his address, the Chief Secretary reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem, citing deep-tech innovation, advanced manufacturing and industry partnerships as key pillars for both economic growth and strategic capability. Dr. Satheesh Reddy underlined the importance of sustained investment in indigenous research and deep-tech startups to strengthen India’s defence preparedness.
Procurement remains the bottleneck
At a panel discussion on the startup revolution in defence, Lt. Gen. Varshney said warfare was changing rapidly, driven by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics, additive manufacturing and quantum technologies. Emerging technologies, he said, were evolving faster than traditional procurement systems, and the armed forces were looking for practical, deployable solutions rather than early-stage concepts.
Bala Praveen, founder of Hyderabad-based Axial Aero and a winner under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, said the bigger challenge for startups was not building the technology itself but surviving the long journey to military procurement, since validation, certification, procurement and funding took years to clear, and investors in the sector typically saw returns only after five to seven years.
Officials from iDEX and DRDO said recent policy changes had lowered entry barriers for startups and expanded opportunities for indigenous technologies, and urged startups to anticipate future operational requirements rather than wait for tenders to be issued.
Focus on manufacturing ecosystem
Mr. Sridhar Babu reiterated the State’s commitment to building an ecosystem where startups, research institutions, industry and the armed forces can collaborate on indigenous technology, and said innovation-led manufacturing and deep-tech entrepreneurship would be central to strengthening India’s strategic capabilities while positioning Telangana as a leading destination for defence innovation and advanced manufacturing.
The conclave also featured panel discussions on manufacturing, procurement and indigenisation, and on building India’s defence innovation ecosystem, along with a startup elevator-pitch session intended to enable direct engagement between innovators, defence users, policymakers and investors.
