SPRINT Challenges: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently unveiled the “SPRINT Challenges”  for the Indian Navy.

Key Highlights:

The SPRINT Challenges was launched on July 18, 2022 during the Swavlamban seminar at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

The seminar was organized by “Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)”.

The SPRINT Challenges is aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy.

About Sprint Challenges:

• In a bid to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav NIIO, in conjunction with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products, which will be inducted into the Navy in the coming year.
• This collaborative project is named SPRINT which stands for "Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC)".

Significance of Sprint Challenges:

• An imperative pillar of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is attaining self-reliance in the Defence Sector.
• The Indian Navy is also making consistent efforts to bring made-in-India technology and innovation.
• Aligning with this same ethos, ‘SPRINT Challenges was unveiled.
• It aims to engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the Defence sector.
• It will provide a platform for leaders from Industry, Academia, Services and Government to come together on a common platform to ideate and come up with recommendations for the Defence Sector.

About Swavlamban Seminar:

• Swavlamban Seminar is a two-day Seminar that was held from 18 to 19 July 2022.
• The seminar was organized by the NIIO and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
• It brought together leaders from Industry, Academia, Services and Government under a common roof to ideate and come up with recommendations for the Defence Sector.
• Sessions dedicated to Innovation, Armament, Aviation and Indigenisation were held.
• The second day of the Seminar witnessed outreach to Indian Ocean Region, in order with SAGAR Vision of the Indian government.

About NIIO:

The Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) was launched by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in August 2020.

It was launched with an aim to encourage innovation and indigenization for self-reliance in defence sector, in line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

It is a three-tiered organization. They are -

1. Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC): It was created to bring the double aspects of innovation and indigenization together besides providing apex-level directives.
2. Working group: It was created under the N-TAC, for implementing the projects.
3. Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC): It was created to induct new disruptive technology in accelerated time frame.