The details of the applications received under the Dare to Dream (D2D) contests during the last three years are enumerated below:

Dare to Dream (D2D) 1.0 (2019), D2D 2.0 (2020) and D2D 3.0 (2021) have been successfully conduced, wherein, more than 5,600 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 start-ups. DRDO also supports best awarded ideas to realize them into prototype through Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme. A total of eight projects at a cost of Rs 6.93 crore have been awarded under TDF scheme to Dare to Dream winners of Start-up category.

The individual innovators (Indian Citizen above 18 years age) and Start-ups (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:

Screened by Domain Expert Committee headed by Director General (Concerned Technical Cluster).

Shortlisted and Ranked by Independent Expert Committee. The selection criteria includes, Novelty, Applicability, Implementability, Technical Merit and Maturity.

D2D winners are awarded with cash prize money in the Individual and start-up categories. The winners are also encouraged and further considered for funding for the realisation of Prototypes under TDF scheme of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence on merit and feasibility basis.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri GM Siddeshwar and Shrimati Poonam Mahajan in the Lok Sabha today.

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ABB/Savvy/Nirmit