According to a PIB release, 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 initiative of MeitY implemented in association with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI). The challenge aims to strengthen India’s cybersecurity capabilities and build indigenous expertise in critical technology domains to support a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
According to the PIB release, the Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 carried a combined prize pool of ₹6.85 crore, making it one of the most significant government‑backed cyber security innovation challenges in the country. The top winner was awarded a trophy and ₹1 crore, while the first runner‑up received ₹50 lakh and the second runner‑up ₹25 lakh. The winning start‑ups and their problem statements are:
-Winner – Cambrian Skillsda Technologies and Consultancy Services LLP (CSTCS) – Securing Next‑Gen Biometric Systems
– First Runner‑up – Crypsis – Clone & Fake Apps Mitigation
– Second Runner‑up – Ziriz.ai – API Security
Launched in January 2025 on the ‘MyGov platform’, the ‘Cyber Security Grand Challenge’ focuses on six critical domains: API Security, Data Security, Wearable Device Security and Privacy, Clone and Fake App Mitigation, AI for Threat Detection and Incident Response, and Securing Next‑Generation Biometric Systems. A key feature of the initiative is that the ‘Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)’ of the developed solutions remain with the respective start‑ups, encouraging innovation while retaining ownership.
According to the PIB release, the challenge was conducted in ‘four structured stages’ with progressive evaluation and financial support at each level. At the ‘Idea Stage’, six start‑ups were shortlisted under each problem statement (36 in total), with each receiving ₹5 lakh to refine their concepts. In the ‘Minimum Viable Product stage’, 18 start‑ups (three under each problem statement) received structured technical and business mentorship to build functional prototypes and were awarded ₹10 lakh each. In the ‘Final Product stage’, solutions were tested and validated, and five start‑ups received ₹25 lakh each. At the ‘Go‑to‑Market stage’, three start‑ups were selected as Grand Winners based on commercial readiness, scalability, and market potential.
Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, said, “The Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 is an important step towards building a strong indigenous cyber security capacity in the country. Cybersecurity is one area where domestic capability is of utmost importance. Indigenisation in cyber security is critical, as the security challenges we face are real and evolving, and we must be prepared with solutions developed within our own ecosystem.” He added that the challenge saw extensive participation from student‑led teams, start‑ups, and women‑led enterprises, and that the problem statements are highly relevant to today’s data‑driven economy, where data sharing via APIs must be accompanied by robust security and privacy safeguards.
