iDEX DISC 12 (Re-Open) , IAF

• Best suited to startups, MSMEs, and innovators building defence solutions for Indian Air Force challenges.

About this scheme

Run by the Defence Innovation Organisation within the Ministry of Defence, iDEX DISC 12 (Re-Open) is a tightly scoped defence-innovation challenge under the Innovations for Defence Excellence framework. It puts a single Indian Air Force problem statement to MSMEs, startups, and individual innovators, asking them to design a helicopter electronic glide-path landing system, with funding of up to Rs. 1.5 crore on offer.

At its heart is a genuine operational shortfall: helicopters landing at helipads, especially in hilly country and poor visibility, still lean heavily on visual cues, which curtails safe operations in bad weather. The Air Force wants a transportable, configurable system that can generate an electronic glide path, watch for failures, flag degradation, and work with aircraft Instrument Landing Systems.

The system has to emit electronic glide-path signals, handle non-standard glide-path angles, sound visual or aural warnings if something fails, and track a helicopter's flight path, ideally drawing on novel ground-based equipment and adapting to many helipad sites. The target deliverable is a deployable prototype that makes low-visibility helicopter landings safe, with room to extend later to transport-class aircraft at Advanced Landing Grounds and similar strips. Applications were filed at idex.gov.in, and this round closed on 9 March 2026.

Who can apply

• Open to Indian MSMEs, Indian startups, and individual innovators.
• Solutions must address the specific problem statement issued by the Indian Air Force.
• The proposed system must meet the defined requirements, including electronic glide-path generation, failure monitoring, transportability, and ILS compatibility.

Eligible entity types: Individual Innovator, LLP, Partnership, Private Limited, Proprietorship

Frequently asked questions