India steps up cyber defence with new innovation challenge

• CSIC 1.0 sets a precedent for grassroots innovation and national collaboration, targeting students and researchers with real-world cyber threats.

In a significant push to bolster India’s cyber security ecosystem, the government has unveiled the first-ever Cyber Security Innovation Challenge (CSIC) 1.0, targeting students and researchers with real-world cyber threats.

The initiative aims to foster cyber security as an attractive career path while accelerating the development of indigenous, product-oriented solutions.

The CSIC 1.0 is part of the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The challenge is designed to produce skilled professionals and stimulate innovation in addressing India’s evolving cyber security needs.

Collaborative approach

S. Krishnan, IT Secretary, outlined a two-pronged national strategy: expanding public awareness of emerging digital threats and simultaneously strengthening India’s technological capabilities.

“Cyber security demands a whole-of-nation approach,” Krishnan said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on cohesive national action. He added that CSIC 1.0 is geared to meet both immediate and long-term challenges.

The initiative was launched amid strong collaboration between MeitY, CERT-In, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), AICTE, C-DAC, the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), as well as academic and industry representatives.

Krishnan underscored the goal of nurturing innovative solutions well beyond the minimum viable product (MVP) stage, paving the way for partnerships with startups and industry for scalable market deployment.

Structure designed for impact

Vinayak Godse, CEO of DSCI, provided details on CSIC 1.0’s five-stage structure and its set of domain-specific problem statements, crafted through months of joint work between DSCI, C-DAC, and ISEA. Godse noted, “This first-of-its-kind initiative empowers students and researchers to innovate early, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets.”

Professor V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, noted that the innovation challenge demonstrates India’s deepening grasp of cyber threats and the readiness to develop transformative homegrown solutions. The challenge features ten focused problem statements directly aligned with India’s most pressing cyber security requirements.

Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of CERT-In, highlighted the ISEA’s leading role in pushing Indian cyber research from reactive defense to proactive innovation. “The challenge creates a critical bridge connecting R&D, academia, and industry, envisioning academic innovations as real-world, market-ready products,” Dr. Bahl stated.