MeitY Awards ₹6.85 Crore in Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0

The winners received trophies and cash prizes in recognition of their technical excellence, innovation, and commercial viability.

In a major push to strengthen India’s indigenous cybersecurity capabilities, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), today felicitated the winners of the Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 (CSGC 2.0), a flagship innovation initiative implemented in partnership with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI).

With a combined prize pool of ₹6.85 crore, the Challenge ranks among the largest government-backed cybersecurity innovation programmes in India, aimed at building cutting-edge domestic solutions in critical technology domains.

Building Indigenous Cybersecurity Strength

Addressing the award ceremony, Shri S. Krishnan underscored the strategic importance of indigenisation in cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity is one area where domestic capability is of utmost importance. The security challenges we face are real and evolving, and we must be prepared with solutions developed within our own ecosystem,” he said.

The initiative aligns with India’s broader digital transformation agenda, where rapid digitisation, expanding API-driven data exchanges, AI adoption, and biometric authentication systems have significantly increased the attack surface for cyber threats.

₹1 Crore Top Prize: Winners Announced

The top three start-ups were recognised for developing innovative, scalable solutions to pressing cybersecurity challenges:

• Winner (₹1 crore): Cambrian Skillsda Technologies and Consultancy Services LLP (CSTCS)Problem Statement: Securing Next-Generation Biometric Systems

• 1st Runner-up (₹50 lakh): CrypsisProblem Statement: Clone and Fake App Mitigation

• 2nd Runner-up (₹25 lakh): Ziriz.aiProblem Statement: API Security

The winners received trophies and cash prizes in recognition of their technical excellence, innovation, and commercial viability.

Six Critical Cybersecurity Domains Targeted

Launched in January 2025 and hosted on the MyGov platform, CSGC 2.0 focused on six high-priority domains central to India’s digital economy:

• API Security

• Data Security

• Wearable Device Security and Privacy

• Clone and Fake App Mitigation

• AI for Threat Detection and Incident Response

• Securing Next-Generation Biometric Systems

These areas were selected to address real-world vulnerabilities emerging from the rapid expansion of digital public infrastructure, fintech platforms, health-tech ecosystems, and AI-based services.

A Structured, Multi-Stage Innovation Pipeline

The Challenge was designed as a four-stage innovation accelerator, combining financial incentives with sustained technical and business mentorship:

Idea Stage:36 start-ups (six per problem statement) were shortlisted and awarded ₹5 lakh each to refine their concepts.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Stage:Participants received structured mentoring to develop working prototypes.

Final Product Stage:18 start-ups (three per problem statement) advanced and received ₹10 lakh each. Solutions were rigorously tested and validated, with five start-ups awarded ₹25 lakh each at this stage.

Go-to-Market Stage:Start-ups were evaluated on scalability, commercial readiness, and market potential. Three Grand Winners were selected.

Throughout the programme, participants received continuous technical guidance, business mentoring, and ecosystem support to strengthen product maturity, deployability, and investor readiness.

IP Ownership with Start-Ups

A distinctive feature of CSGC 2.0 is that Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for all developed solutions remain with the respective start-ups — a move designed to promote entrepreneurship, commercial scaling, and long-term innovation within India’s cybersecurity sector.

The Challenge also saw broad-based participation, including student-led teams, early-stage start-ups, and women-led enterprises, reflecting a growing diversity within India’s deep-tech ecosystem.

Securing India’s Digital Future

With cyber threats growing in sophistication — from deepfake-enabled fraud to API breaches and biometric spoofing — initiatives such as CSGC 2.0 signal a shift toward proactive capability-building rather than reactive defence.

MeitY reiterated its commitment to sustaining momentum in domestic cybersecurity innovation through collaborative frameworks involving government, industry bodies, start-ups, and academia.

Further details on the Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 are available on the MyGov innovation portal.