Indian Army organised Idea and Innovation Competition and Seminar titled Inno-Yodha 2024-25 at Manekshaw Centre

In the presence of General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, the Indian Army held the Inno-Yoddha 2024-25 Idea and Innovation Competition and Seminar at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. The Indian Army organizes Inno-Yoddha every year. According to a press release, it finds internal innovations to fill in current capacity gaps, increase operational, logistical, and training capacities, and boost operational efficacy.

The Indian Army has a variety of operational difficulties that are made worse by the unpredictable nature of the terrain, the weather, and enemy threats. Based on the difficulties faced by the soldiers in the field army, the Indian Army encourages internal innovations. Driven by their enthusiasm, expertise, and technical focus, these troops solve problems in their respective fields with the help of their inherent experience.

The “Inno-Yoddha 2024-25” was a tournament that encouraged troops to think creatively by facilitating new ideas and innovative solutions. Research and Development (R&D), Design and Development (D&D), Army Technology Board (ATB) Projects, and Base Workshops advance the chosen ideas via product enhancement.

For the chosen inventions, intellectual property rights (IPRs) are also acquired. After the technology has been successfully upgraded and ruggedized, it is handed to the industry to satisfy the Indian Army’s needs for bulk-produced, industrial-grade items. The ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) campaign is another initiative that supports the Indian Army’s efforts.

Following selection at the unit, formation, and command headquarters levels, a total of 75 innovations from various disciplines within the Indian Army were deployed this year. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) honored 22 of the outstanding inventions from these 75 that were shown at the event. To meet the needs of field formations, they will be produced under the direction of the Army Design Bureau.

The Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, praised the inventors’ inventiveness and innovation and urged all levels to use critical thinking and creative problem-solving techniques. “Recent conflicts have shown that innovation is not just a word; it is a mindset,” the COAS stated during the ceremony. It is the catalyst that propels development and molds the future. He congratulated the competitors, stating that they had contributed their ideas to the tournament via their diligence and hard work. The COAS said, “Behind each idea, there are countless hours of thought, research, and testing – a testament to their determination to contribute to the force and the nation” .

Significant inventions have been cultivated at Inno-Yoddha during the last four years, leading to the successful completion of 21 innovations and the filing of 26 IPRs. For three of these advances, technology has also been handed to the commercial sector. Two of them, Agniastra by Red Kite Digital Tech and Exploder by FC Tech, have already been made available; Agniastra was just introduced by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) during the Army Commanders Conference on October 12, 2024, while Exploder was released in June 2024. IS Trading Company now owns the third invention, Vidyut Rakshak.