New Delhi : The much-awaited Grand Finale and award ceremony of the Indian Army
Terrier Cyber Quest 2025 took place on 8 October, marking a proud moment for
India’s growing cyber ecosystem. Hosted by the Territorial Army, Indian Army
Research Cell, IIT Madras, CyberPeace and supported by MeitY, Cert-In, the
nation’s most promising young cyber innovators – the winners of the Indian Army
Terrier Cyber Quest 2025. The event has also been recognised as an
official pre-summit event of the AI Impact Summit 2026
Close to 10,000 young cyberspace enthusiasts
participated in the Cyber Quest 2025 to build stronger systems for the nation
using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
The competition, designed to identify and nurture the
next generation of cybersecurity experts drew record participation this year
with over 6,300 teams from 1,500 institutions from IITs, NITs, IISc and leading
MNCs. 75 of the brightest minds were shortlisted for the finale, where the
winners were announced in the presence of senior defence officials, technology
leaders, and policymakers.
Winners of each challenge category won an INR 1,00,000
cash prize. Meet the winners:
- Bug
Hunting: Vishal ML (a single-member team)
- Drone
Flight Anomaly Detection: Cdr Yatish Chaturvedi and Lt Col Arijeet Chandra
Sen
- Quantum
Machine Learning / AI Threat Detection: Ashish Bajpai, Pankaj Kumar and
Subodh
The Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2025 featured two
distinct tracks:
- Track
One: Bug Hunting Challenge: A high-stakes cybersecurity hackathon culminating
in a 36-hour live bug hunt on the BOSS Linux system. Finalists uncovered
OS-level vulnerabilities in a simulated Indian Army environment, helping
to build stronger systems for the nation
- Track
Two: Datathon: A data-centric challenge designed to test participants’
ability to build robust technological solutions for defence and national
security. This year’s focus was on Predictive Threat Intelligence and
Drone flight Anomaly Detection using datasets
“The Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest was not just a competition;
it was a collaborative step toward a Cyber Secure Bharat. In today’s world,
every byte and every minute counts. Through such initiatives, we’re
strengthening India’s cyber readiness and integrating modern technology into
the core of the business of warfare”, said Maj Gen S.S. Patil, VSM in his
inaugural address.
Sharing a brief about the Indian Army Terrier Cyber
Quest, Major Vineet Kumar, Founder & President, CyberPeace said, “The
Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2025 stands as a true reflection of how
cybersecurity thrives on multi-stakeholder collaboration, from defence and
government to academia and industry. As the official pre-summit event of the AI
Impact Summit 2026, this gathering exemplifies how India is building a strong,
collaborative foundation to secure its digital future.”
The event also witnessed a series of inspiring speaker
sessions, Fire Side Chat and panel discussions featuring industry experts and
leaders including Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Rajesh Pant, (PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) Former
National CyberSecurity, Coordinator, PMO, GoI & Member Global Advisory
Council, CyberPeace); Dr. Subi Chaturvedi (Chief Corporate Affairs & Public
Policy Officer SVP-Global, INMOBI), Mr. MAKP Singh (Former CISO, GoI), Dr.
Shankar Raman (CEO, IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation), Prof Dr GS Bajpai
(Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Delhi), Prof Dr. Sitharaman
(Chairman, AICTE, GoI), Dr. Anil Shahastrabuddhe (Chairman of NETF, Chairman of
Exec Committee, NAAC and Chairman NBA); Brigadier Venkatesh on topics such as
cybersecurity preparedness and ecosystem, legal frameworks for cyberspace,
military-civil fusion, and evolving role of cybersecurity and AI in national
security, by leaders
With initiatives like the Terrier Cyber Quest, India
is shaping the next frontier of national security, where innovation,
collaboration, and cyber resilience define the nation’s strength.