New Delhi: Cybersecurity talent from across the country is gearing up for CyberKushti 2026, with more than 600 teams already registering for the national-level AI and cybersecurity hackathon. The competition is being positioned as a platform for students, researchers and professionals to demonstrate their technical capabilities through real-world cybersecurity challenges.
CyberKushti 2026 is being organised by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in association with the National Security Database (NSD) and ISAC Foundation. The hackathon focuses on practical cybersecurity skills, analytical reasoning, problem-solving and cyber defence.
The competition will be conducted across three stages, with each round designed to test a different aspect of participants’ cybersecurity capabilities. Teams will consist of three members, and registrations will remain open until September 10, 2026.
The opening round, “The Akhada,” will take place online on September 15. Participants will have six hours to tackle challenges involving the identification of false positives. Following the first round, the 50 highest-performing teams will move forward in the competition.
The second stage, “The Dangal,” will be held online on September 24. During the eight-hour challenge, teams will be required to build the correct cybersecurity kill chain. Only 10 teams will progress from this stage to the final round.
The competition will culminate with “The Kesari” in New Delhi on October 9 as part of NCCDFI 2026. The finalists will compete in an intensive, full-day, in-person challenge centred on creating the best virtual patch for zero-day vulnerabilities. The results will be announced during the NCCDFI 2026 closing session on October 10.
The winning team will earn the prestigious title of “Cyber Kesari 2026” and receive a traditional gada on stage during the valedictory session. The second- and third-place teams will be recognised as “Rustam” and “Pahalwan.” In addition to these titles, the hackathon offers ₹2.5 lakh in total cash prizes, certificates, scorecards and National Security Database recognition credits.
Participants will also receive recognition for their performance beyond the final rankings. Those participating in Round 1 will receive certificates and individual scorecards, while teams that qualify beyond the first round will receive NSD recognition credits.
The ISAC Foundation will manage the technical aspects of the competition, including challenge design, competition architecture, evaluation methodology and the jury responsible for evaluating the participating teams.
The organisers have also placed emphasis on inclusive participation, particularly encouraging women and cybersecurity enthusiasts from rural and underserved communities to take part. Companies, academic institutions, professional groups and cybersecurity communities are being encouraged to circulate the opportunity among their respective networks.
With registrations already crossing the 600-team mark, CyberKushti 2026 is expected to bring together a diverse pool of emerging cybersecurity talent and provide participants with an opportunity to test their skills in a competitive national-level environment.
Registrations are free and close on September 10, 2026.
