California: The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), in collaboration with Stanford University's Gordian Knot Centre for National Security Innovation and the Hoover Institution, announced the third edition of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit, a statement by the USISPF said.

This event will be held across two days, September 9-10, at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, bringing together leading defence policymakers from Washington and New Delhi with a central focus on strengthening defence and advanced technology innovative partnerships, the statement added.

In a post on X, the USISPF quoted Condoleezza Rice, Director of the Hoover Institution, as saying, "'The US-India relationship is not just bipartisan, it is enduring. Whoever occupied the @WhiteHouse in January 2025, will realize, this is the most important relationship" -Condoleezza Rice, Director Hoover Institute and former US Secretary of State at #INDUSXSummit2024"

The third summit is entitled "Harnessing Investment Opportunities to Enhance Cross-Border Defence Innovation Ecosystems" and will focus on the critical role of private capital in advancing the defence innovation sector, the statement said.

The event will facilitate interactions between American and Indian leaders in defence innovation, including start-ups, venture capitalists, academia, accelerators, and industry professionals, to foster co-production and investment opportunities.

The INDUS X initiative is spearheaded by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) from the Indian Ministry of Defence, and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Office of the Secretary of Defence (OSD) from the US Department of Defence.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently concluded a successful four-day visit to Washington, DC. During his visit, the Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. Both leaders commended the efforts of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) in establishing a defence innovation bridge between the two countries.

Commenting on INDUS-X, Rajnath Singh said, "Indian and American startups and innovators are important to our national security. The India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit gives technology leaders in India and the United States a vibrant platform to foster partnerships and collaborations in the defense sector. Wishing the event a grand success."

His counterpart, Lloyd Austin said, "As the third INDUS-X summit kicks off with dozens of American and Indian innovators and defence leaders, I'm proud to see our investors, businesses, and researchers working under INDUS-X to address critical defence technology requirements and to co-produce cutting-edge military capabilities that will safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Both defence heads recognized INDUS-X's role in creating robust networks across start-ups, industry, academia, and governments, accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, and enhancing the war-fighting capabilities of both nations.

The summit will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions with leaders from both the private and the public sectors touching on themes along the lines of strengthening defence and advanced technology partnerships, funding defence innovation, and resilient supply chains.

The INDUS-X Tech Expo will showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovations from defence and aerospace start-ups and companies in an event that will draw venture capital firms, academics, accelerators, and tech professionals from the Bay Area, the statement said.

On Monday, September 9, an upgraded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between iDEX and DIU will be signed, along with the release of the "INDUS-X Impact Report -- A Year of Breakthroughs," and the launch of the official INDUS-X webpage on the iDEX and DIU websites.

In addition, the summit will witness the announcement of several key initiatives and the book launch of "Unit X," by Raj Shah, Managing Partner of Shield Capital and former director of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit.

On Tuesday, September 10, the United States Institute of Peace will host INDUS-X leaders for the private Senior Leaders' Forum with industry and academia.

The third INDUS-X summit will further deepen and broaden the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the US-India partnership in Washington, DC, and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States.

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