Hyderabad, Dec 10 (IANS): The United States Consulate in Hyderabad and Alliance for Commercialisation and Innovation Research (ACIR) jointly hosted the Defence and Aerospace Workshop, a three-day event for select startups in the defence and aerospace industry.

The workshop is designed to support ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha by empowering them to transform their business venture into a sustainable enterprise and connect with leading American and Indian corporations in the defence and aerospace industries.

The programme will enhance the entrepreneurial and managerial skills of these individuals leading early-stage ventures. The programme consists of a three-day workshop organised in Hyderabad for 25 entrepreneurs, with a focus on startups led by women and/or people under 35 years of age. Participants were chosen through a competitive application process.

U.S. Consul General in Hyderabad Joel Reifman addressed the group of entrepreneurs along with Principal Secretary to the Telangana government for Industries & Commerce and IT Jayesh Ranjan, William Blair of Lockheed Martin, S.G.K. Kishore of GMR, and Erik Azulay of ACIR.

"The strength of the U.S.-India relationship is on full display at this Defence and Aerospace Workshop," said Consul General Reifman. "These entrepreneurs are not only contributing to the deepening defence relationship between the United States and India, they are also honing business skills that will foster economic growth and vitality in both of our countries. What's more, nearly half of the startups here today are led by women and the vast majority are either based in or founded by someone from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, or Odisha. That's an outstanding accomplishment," he added.

"The Defence and Aerospace Workshop is a three-day series of trainings bringing together innovative Indian startups and the main players in the aerospace and defence industries," said ACIR Founder Erik Azulay. "We are thrilled to be partnering with top U.S. leaders in India such as Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin, and Belcan to integrate innovative startups into their supply chains. This level of collaboration is a testimony to the strong U.S.-Indian relationship and our shared culture of entrepreneurship."

ACIR is an American non-profit organisation providing consulting, training, and programme management services in the fields of innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship. It has successfully run entrepreneurship programmes around the world, including in South Korea, Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia, and the United States, including the 2019 Defence Startups Workshop in Hyderabad.