Titan Capital Signs MoU With iDEX to Support Defence Startups

Titan Capital, one of India’s most active early-stage venture capital firms, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence aimed at fostering innovation in defence and aerospace.

This joint commitment marks a significant step toward accelerating investment in India’s strategic and deep-tech sectors, particularly in startups developing cutting-edge solutions for national security.

Titan Capital has backed over 250 startups across India and the U.S., with a strong focus on founders building disruptive technologies from the ground up. Known for being the earliest backers of companies like Ola, Urban Company, and Mamaearth, Titan is now extending its commitment to sectors critical to national interest, including defence, aerospace, and dual-use technologies. With its hands-on approach and founder-first philosophy, Titan Capital aims to support the next generation of defence-tech entrepreneurs at the seed and pre-seed stages, helping them navigate product development, go-to-market, and long-term scale.

iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), launched by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, is a pioneering platform to engage startups and innovators in addressing the country’s defence and security challenges. Through structured grant programs, procurement pathways, and partnerships with the Armed Forces, iDEX has created a fertile ground for innovation in unmanned systems, AI, robotics, communication tech, and beyond. The platform is a cornerstone of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision in defence and has already enabled dozens of startups to build and deploy mission-critical solutions.

Through this MoU, Titan Capital aims to actively support startups in the iDEX ecosystem by providing early capital, operational mentorship, and access to commercial and dual-use market pathways. This partnership also underscores Titan Capital’s growing commitment to backing ventures in India's defence innovation landscape.

Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder, Titan Capital, said, "India’s defence innovation ecosystem is at an inflection point. At Titan Capital, we believe that visionary startups solving hard technology problems for national defence need both patient capital and strategic guidance. Our partnership with iDEX is designed to back these founders at the very beginning of their journeys and help turn their ideas into scalable impact. 

“This partnership signals our resolve to fast-track defence innovation by empowering promising startups with early support.”- COO, iDEX-DIO

The partnership is also a call to action for emerging defence startups, especially those already working with iDEX- to reach out and explore early-stage investment opportunities.

Titan Capital and iDEX are committed to building a more integrated and entrepreneur-friendly pipeline for India’s future defence technologies.