DIO Recruitment 2026 — 9 Program Executive & Director Posts, Apply Online by 10 Aug (Delhi)

Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), the Section-8 company created by defence PSUs HAL and BEL to run the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) framework under the Ministry of Defence, has released three parallel advertisements inviting Individual Consultants on contract basis for its Project Management, Legal and Financial Services teams. Across the three notifications, DIO is hiring for 9 posts spanning Program Director, Deputy Program Director, Program Executive and Deputy Program Executive roles, all based in New Delhi. Selected consultants will support iDEX's core mission of fostering innovation and technology development in India's defence and aerospace sector, working with MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia. Responsibilities range from managing partnerships with incubators and overseeing grant disbursement (Project Management team), to handling legal compliance and court representation (Legal team), and evaluating financial statements and loan options for iDEX award winners (Financial Services team). Engagement is purely contractual, initially for 3 years extendable up to 5 years based on performance, with consolidated monthly consultancy fees ranging from ₹40,000 for Deputy Program Executive up to ₹2,40,000 for Program Director. Eligible candidates can apply online through the Career section at idex.gov.in. The last date to apply for this DIO Recruitment 2026 is 10 August 2026 at 5:00 PM, with no application fee. Selection will be through shortlisting followed by an in-person or video-conference interview that may include skill tests and group discussions. Candidates must read the complete official notification PDF on idex.gov.in before applying, as engagement confers no right to permanent absorption in DIO.

• Program Director (2 posts): Master's Degree in Science/Management/Technology with 10 years' post-qualification experience, or Bachelor's Degree with 12 years' experience
• Deputy Program Director — PMT & Financial Services (2 posts): Master's Degree with 6 years' experience, or Bachelor's Degree with 8 years' experience (Financial Services DPD requires MBA Finance/CA/CMA/2-year PGDM Finance specialisation)
• Program Executive — PMT, Legal & Financial Services (4 posts): Master's Degree with 2 years' experience, or Bachelor's Degree with 4 years' experience. Legal PE requires LLB (4 yrs experience) or LLM (2 yrs experience). Financial Services PE requires MBA Finance/CA/CMA/2-year PGDM Finance specialisation
• Deputy Program Executive (1 post): Master's Degree, or Bachelor's Degree with 1 year experience

• Program Director: below 55 years as on 10-08-2026
• Deputy Program Director: below 40 years as on 10-08-2026
• Program Executive: below 30 years as on 10-08-2026
• Deputy Program Executive: below 26 years as on 10-08-2026

• Master's or Bachelor's Degree in Science/Management/Technology with post-qualification experience varying by post level (1 to 12 years)
• Legal Program Executive: LLB with 4 years' experience, or LLM with 2 years' experience, in legal documentation, court representation, contract management or arbitration
• Financial Services posts: MBA (Finance)/CA/CMA/2-year PGDM (Finance) with relevant banking, financial institution or grant-evaluation experience
• Experience in any of: innovation & entrepreneurship, business development, program/grant management, consulting, communications, product management, IT operations or project management (for PMT posts)
• Age limit varies strictly by post level: PD below 55, DPD below 40, PE below 30, DPE below 26 years, all as on 10-08-2026
• Engagement is on contract basis only; does not confer any right to permanent absorption in DIO

• No application fee mentioned in the official advertisement

• Program Director: ₹1,80,000 – ₹2,40,000 per month (consolidated consultancy fee, inclusive of all taxes)
• Deputy Program Director: ₹1,40,000 – ₹1,80,000 per month
• Program Executive: ₹80,000 – ₹1,20,000 per month
• Deputy Program Executive: ₹40,000 – ₹80,000 per month
• Annual increment up to 10% based on performance appraisal

1. Visit the official website www.idex.gov.in
2. Navigate to the Career section on the homepage
3. Read the complete official notification PDF for the relevant team (Project Management, Legal, or Financial Services) before applying
4. Register and fill in the online application form with accurate personal, educational and experience details
5. Upload required documents in a single PDF file within the prescribed size limit, as specified in the application form
6. Review all entered details carefully, since any deviation from the prescribed submission method may lead to disqualification
7. Submit the application online before 5:00 PM on the closing date
8. Wait for email notification if shortlisted for interview
9. Attend the in-person interview in New Delhi or via Video Conferencing, which may include skill tests and group discussions
10. For queries, contact eo-dio@ddpmod.gov.in or 011-20832018