Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 12 (ANI): Manthan 2025, the flagship annual defence innovation event, was held in Bengaluru on Wednesday as part of Aero India 2025, according to a release by the Ministry of Defence. Organised by the Innovations for Defence Excellence - Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, the event brought together stakeholders of the defence innovation ecosystem, including innovators, industry leaders, academia, incubators, investors, thought leaders, and senior government officials, the release stated. As part of the event, a Roundtable Conference was chaired by Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar. He stressed on enhancing India's combat readiness through the adoption of futuristic technologies to secure a strategic advantage in defence. He emphasised that by integrating latest innovations into the defence strategy, the country can modernise its Armed Forces, strengthen its readiness for future combat scenarios, and maintain a technological edge over potential adversaries.Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Chairman IN-SPACe, Axilor Ventures, SKEGEN Management Advisors, CMDs of major DPSUs, CEO Bharat Forge Defence and Aerospace and President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, ideaFORGE, Sagar Defence, NewSpace Research & Technologies Pvt Ltd and major Incubators including IITs and IIMs attended the roundtable, the release stated. The conference deliberated on emerging challenges and opportunities in the sector, with a focus on supporting defence start-ups and MSMEs, enhancing innovation capabilities and fostering strategic collaborations within the defence ecosystem. This was particularly relevant as iDEX-DIO has collaborated with leading investors and banks to accelerate defence innovation and enable ease of doing innovation.Manthan 2025 stood as a testament to the scale and speed of iDEX, showcasing the rapid strides made in defence innovation and the pivotal role of startups in transforming India's defence capabilities. It contributed to driving the self-reliance mission of the Ministry of Defence as the nation progresses towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, the release added. (ANI)