Lok Sabha Question No. 2148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-15
Subject: Dare to Dream Scheme
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara, Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEFENCE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2148

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  December, 2023

## DARE TO DREAM SCHEME

2148. SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWAR:

## SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  application(s)  received  under  'Dare  to  Dream'  scheme  to  promote individuals and startups for innovation in the area of defence and aerospace during the last three years;
- (b) the number of projects awarded out of the application received;
- (c) the selection criteria of the individuals/companies applied for the scheme; and
- (d) the manner in which selected individuals/companies are getting benefit(s) under the said scheme?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI AJAY BHATT)

- (a):  The details of the applications received under the Dare to Dream (D2D) contests during the last three years is enumerated below: -
- (b):    Dare  to  Dream  (D2D)  1.0  (2019),  D2D  2.0  (2020)  and  D2D  3.0  (2021)  have  been successfully conduced, wherein, more than 5600 applications were received and out of which 86 technologies/ideas have been recognized and Rs. 3.97 Crore worth of prize Money has been awarded to the individual innovators and startups. DRDO also supports best awarded ideas to realize them into prototype through TDF scheme. A total of 08 projects at a cost of Rs. 6.93 Crore have been awarded under TDF scheme to Dare to Dream winners of Startup category.

|   Sl. No. | Dare to Dream (D2D) Contest   |   Year of Contest |   No. of Application received |
|-----------|-------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------|
|         1 | Dare to Dream-1               |              2019 |                          3080 |
|         2 | Dare to Dream-2               |              2020 |                          1750 |
|         3 | Dare to Dream-3               |              2021 |                           819 |
|         4 | Dare to Dream-4               |              2023 |                           792 |

(c):  The individual innovators (Indian Citizen above 18 years age) and Startups (Registered with  Department for Promotion of Industry  & Internal Trade  and with  Indian founder) are eligible  to  participate  in  the  D2D  contest.  The entries/applications  received under  the  D2D contest are evaluated by a two stage process: -

- (i) Screened by Domain Expert Committee headed by Director General (Concerned Technical Cluster).
- (ii) Shortlisted  and  Ranked  by  Independent  Expert  Committee.  The  selection criteria includes, Novelty, Applicability, Implementability, Technical Merit and Maturity.

(d):  Dare to Dream winners are awarded with cash prize money in the Individual and Startup categories.  The  winners  are  also  encouraged  and  further  considered  for  funding  for  the realization  of  Prototypes  under  Technology  Development  Fund  (TDF)  Scheme  of  Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) (MoD) on merit and feasibility basis.

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