Kanpur: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur’s C3iHub has launched applications for the seventh cohort of its flagship Cybersecurity Startup Incubation Program. The program is being launched in collaboration with the institute’s Technology Business Incubator, FIRST (Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology), and offers selected startups a funding opportunity of ₹30 lakh over two years, comprising a ₹20 lakh grant and ₹10 lakh equity-based fellowship.
With this initiative, C3iHub continues its mandate of accelerating deep-tech innovation in cybersecurity and allied areas, and supporting startups that are building strategic technology solutions for national security and global resilience.
C3iHub is a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) established under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. In May 2025, the Department elevated C3iHub to a Technology Translational Research Park (TTRP), recognising its outstanding contributions and impact over the past four years.
Through the Cohort VII program, C3iHub is seeking to identify and support early-stage startups working on new-age challenges in cybersecurity, including mobile security and mobile forensics, automotive security, privacy-enhancing technologies, threat intelligence, large language model (LLM) security, AI-ML security, and supply chain security. Startups developing technologies with implications for critical infrastructure, digital sovereignty, and national cybersecurity are especially encouraged to apply.
“Our mission at C3iHub is to cultivate a thriving ecosystem where cybersecurity innovation can flourish,” said Dr Tanima Hajra, COO and Interim CEO of C3i Hub. “Cohort VII represents our continued commitment to identifying and empowering the next generation of cybersecurity leaders. With comprehensive funding, mentorship, and access to the rich resources of IIT Kanpur and SIIC, we are confident that these startups will develop solutions critical for national cyber resilience.”
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “At IIT Kanpur, we are committed to advancing India’s cybersecurity landscape through cutting-edge research, deep-tech innovation, and impactful entrepreneurship. C3iHub’s seventh startup cohort reflects this vision by nurturing ventures working at the forefront of cybersecurity. Recently upgraded as Technology Translational Research Park, C3i hub has been delivering solutions that address emerging national and global challenges, while also contributing to India’s self-reliance.”
Selected startups will receive structured mentoring, access to IIT Kanpur’s research and testing facilities, support for product development and pilot deployments, and the opportunity to connect with industry, academia, and strategic agencies. The programme is designed not only to provide financial assistance but also to foster sustainable and scalable growth for cybersecurity ventures, from lab to market.
Eligible applicants must be Indian-registered startups, preferably less than three years old, with at least one full-time founder. The selection process will include an initial screening of submitted proposals followed by a pitch presentation before a domain expert committee. Startups will be evaluated based on the novelty and strategic relevance of their product idea, technological readiness, team capability, and growth potential.
With the launch of Cohort VII, C3iHub reaffirms its commitment to supporting indigenous technological innovation in cybersecurity. In its journey as a TIH between 2020 and 2024, C3iHub successfully nurtured 49 startups, deployed over 15 cybersecurity products, engaged with 3 spokes and 50 spikes, and enabled the commercialisation of solutions by over 60% of its incubated startups. More than 10,000 individuals have been trained across academic and vocational programmes, further strengthening India’s cybersecurity capacity.
Now, as a Technology Translational Research Park, C3iHub aims to build on this momentum, driving advanced research, supporting transformative startups, and enabling the translation of critical technologies to safeguard India’s digital future.
Applications can be submitted through the following link: https://forms.gle/RiXCGMJ7jf83Ua6n6.
C3iHub is a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) established at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. C3iHub addresses the cybersecurity of cyber-physical systems in its entirety.
C3iHub detects security vulnerabilities in critical cyber-physical systems, develops security tools to address the vulnerabilities, nucleates start-ups and partners with industries to commercialise the security tools, and provides training to the next generation of cybersecurity researchers.
