Renu Suresh

Expert

Published on: Jun 24, 2026

DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge

The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) launched its ā€œDare to Dream 3.0ā€ innovation challenge as a tribute to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The program is launched for Emerging Technologies to promote individuals and startups for innovation in defense and aerospace technologies in the country after the call of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat". DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0 is an open challenge to promote innovators and startups in the country. Financial support of up to Rs 10 lakh for start-up and Rs 5 lakh for the individual category, will be given to the winners.

The objective of Dare to Dream 3.0

The objective of Dare to Dream 3.0 is to provide the right platform to the nation's innovators to unearth and realize their disruptive ideas and concepts in different disciplines of emerging technologies possessing military and dual-use identified by DRDO for enhancing defense capabilities. Dare to Dream 3.0 Dare to Dream 3.0

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria to apply for the Dare to Dream 3.0 are listed as follows: Individuals
  • He/she should be a Citizen of India and should have 18 years of age & above.
  • A maximum of 04 members including one defined Team leader can participate under the individual category.
Start-ups
  • Start-ups controlled by Indians and recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
  • An individual having start-up may apply in the capacity of Individual as well as Start-up.

Categories of Innovation

The Defense Sector is seeking innovation in the following areas:
  • Remote Detection & Protection from CBRNE Agents
  • Underwater Communication Systems
  •  Smart Batteries and Self-Healing Batteries for Military Applications
  • Defense on Cloud (Blockchain Technology, IoT, ML, AI)
  • Cognitive Technologies for Sensing and Adaptation
  • Shockwave Applications for Defence
  • Innovative Ideas for Anti Drone
  • Ideas for Soldiers as a System
  • Non-Line of Sight Optical Imaging
  • Open Category: Exploring the Unthinkable and Unimaginable

Financial Assistance

 Award money of upto INR 10 lakhs for startups and INR 5 lakhs for individuals will be provided to the respective winners.

Financial Assistance

Individual Start-up
1st Prize 5 lakh 10 lakh
2nd Prize 4 lakh 8 lakh
3rd Prize 3 lakh 6 lakh

TimeLine of Dare to Dream 3.0

Application Opens 4th  October 2021
Deadline to Apply 25th December 2021

Application Procedure

The application procedure to apply for the DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge is detailed below: User Registration
  • By clicking on the Register option, the form will be displayed. Furnish the details of Name, Gender, and Mobile Number. On successful verification of OTP, the user login ID will be credited.
Dare to Dream 3.0 - Register Dare to Dream 3.0 - Register Login to the Portal
  • Login to the portal using the login ID and password, the application form for the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge will be displayed.
  Provide Details in Application Provide all mandatory details in the application form:
  • Select the challenges for which you want to make submissions
  • An individual or start-up can apply for not more than five areas of challenge.
  • Provide a write-up for each challenge selected. You can also submit attachments (PDF format, less than 5 MB) with more details for the submission.
The winners will be declared after a comprehensive evaluation process by two-level committees i.e Domain Expert Committee ( DEC) and Independent Expert Committee ( IEC).  Award money of upto INR 10 lakhs for startups and INR 5 lakhs for individuals will be provided to the respective winners. Select proposals will also be given a chance to actualize their vision and ideas and contribute to the development of a robust defense ecosystem.  
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge by DRDO India.

The Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge is an open contest launched by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to promote innovation in defense and aerospace technologies among individuals and startups in India. It aims to provide a platform for innovators to develop disruptive ideas and concepts in emerging technologies that can enhance the country's defense capabilities.
The eligibility criteria for the Dare to Dream 3.0 Challenge are as follows: Individuals must be Indian citizens aged 18 years or above, with a maximum of 4 members per team. Startups must be controlled by Indians and recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
The Defense Sector is seeking innovations in areas such as remote detection and protection from CBRNE agents, underwater communication systems, smart and self-healing batteries, defense on cloud technologies (blockchain, IoT, ML, AI), cognitive technologies for sensing and adaptation, shockwave applications, anti-drone ideas, and non-line of sight optical imaging, among others.
The winners of the Dare to Dream 3.0 Challenge will receive financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh for startups and ₹5 lakh for individuals. The prize money is distributed among the top three winners, with the first prize being ₹10 lakh for startups and ₹5 lakh for individuals.
The application for the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge needs to be submitted through the official webpage. Applicants need to register on the portal, provide the required details, select the challenges they want to submit for, and upload their write-ups and attachments (if any) for each selected challenge.
The deadline for submitting applications for the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge is 25th December 2021.
The winners of the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge will be selected after a comprehensive evaluation process by two-level committees: the Domain Expert Committee (DEC) and the Independent Expert Committee (IEC).
The objective of the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge is to provide a platform for the nation's innovators to develop and realize their disruptive ideas and concepts in emerging technologies identified by DRDO, with the aim of enhancing defense capabilities.
Yes, an individual having a startup can apply for the Dare to Dream 3.0 Innovation Challenge in the capacity of both an individual and a startup.
The article does not provide specific guidelines for the write-up or attachments to be submitted. However, it mentions that attachments should be in PDF format and less than 5 MB in size.