Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is taking a significant step to bolster its ties with India by launching the NeuSPHERE Innovation Acceleration Program, aimed at supporting Indian start-up companies. IAI’s CEO Boaz Levy discussed this initiative in a recent interview with Breaking Defense, highlighting the company’s efforts to expand its presence in a major market for Israeli products.
Fostering Innovation in India
The NeuSPHERE program, announced in November, will provide Indian startups with funding, technical resources, and marketing expertise to help bring their capabilities to market. Levy emphasized that this initiative builds on over four decades of collaboration between IAI and India, while aligning with the Indian government’s Make in India initiative, which calls for enhanced local production.
“We need to tune ourselves and find the right ways to work together according to the new regulations in India,” Levy explained. He indicated that IAI’s new strategy includes establishing several companies in India to support its programs within the country.
Targeting Deep-Tech Startups
According to IAI, NeuSPHERE is specifically designed to engage with the Indian technology startup community, particularly those focused on deep-tech innovations such as big data, signal and image processing, advanced navigation systems, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy, maintenance, training, green energy, advanced production, quantum computing, edge computing, human-machine interfaces, and wearable technology.
These focus areas align with IAI’s ongoing efforts in Israel to invest in startups and leverage innovations born from the operational demands of the battlefield. The company has previously launched similar initiatives to promote innovation in the United States.
Building Partnerships in India
Levy noted that IAI has already established its first NeuSPHERE office in New Delhi. However, he did not disclose the number of startups involved or the timeline for the first partnerships. He views the program as a gateway to enhancing engineering processes and capabilities tailored for Indian users.
“The program is about building technology,” he stated. “If the technology exists within a startup, we will invest; if it brings benefits to our products, it could lead to a joint venture, which will be decided on a case-by-case basis.”
A Hub for Regional Collaboration
Levy acknowledged India’s importance as a strategic partner for Israel and indicated that the work being done may eventually form a hub for broader regional initiatives, although the initial focus remains firmly on the Indian market. “A lot of our production has been done in India… We believe the innovation program is a great starting point for future collaborations,” he stated.
Recent Developments and Ongoing Projects
In addition to the startup initiative, IAI recently inaugurated a new facility in Hyderabad dedicated to radar maintenance, managed by HELA Systems. The company is also involved in a multi-billion-dollar contract with India, dating back nearly a decade, for the development of missile systems known as MR-SAM, part of IAI’s Barak family.