C3iHub, the Technology Innovation Hub on Cyber Security of Cyber Physical Systems Programme an event on Innovation Ecosystem Building, has launched the second group of 14 startups under the Startup Incubation Program at at IIT Kanpur on July 16, 2022.
The event was graced by Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India (Chief-Guest); Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar, DST Secretary; Dr. Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Co-Ordinator; Dr. Ekta Kapoor, Mission Director, NMICPS, DST; Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Project Director, C3iHub, IIT Kanpur and Prof. Sandeep Shukla, Co-Project Director, C3iHub, IIT Kanpur.
C3iHub’s mission is to address cybersecurity issues in cyber-physical systems such as critical infrastructure, automotive and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). In cyber-physical systems, cyber security is ultimately tied to the general areas of cyber security, including network security, cryptography, intrusion detection and deception techniques. Hence the startup was selected from all cyber security domains including UAV security, blockchain, intrusion detection and cyber-physical systems.
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Addressing the cohort, Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India said, “Skilled cyber-attackers from many countries are targeting India since it has grown rapidly in the past few years. To safeguard India’s cyberspace, we need more security solutions or products and that too in a timely manner since the trend of cyber-attacks is changing day by day”. He also added, “PSA’s office is actively working towards giving big push to India’s startup ecosystem to make them sustainable with more funding and by roping in the industries.”
Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, “Cybersecurity is a very crucial field for National security. At IIT Kanpur, we are relentlessly working towards developing critical cyber security solutions. I am glad to see that several startups incubated with C3iHub from the first cohort have already developed deployable security solutions and products that are making significant impact. I am confident that the second cohort will also bring in significant change in cyber security in India and will make India self-reliant in near future.”
As part of India’s growing cyber security system, C3iHub, the Technology Innovation Hub was founded in under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) in 2020.
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Its first cohort of startups officially launched in 2021 amid the covid crisis.
C3iHub through its program provides a seed grant of Rs 10 lakh to incubated startups and a salary of Rs 50,000/month for a founder for two years, resulting in an initial investment of Rs 22 lakhs. C3iHub estimates that at least 20% of startups will be successful after 2 years of incubation. It offers additional funding and connects startups with investors and companies to help them raise funding.
Manindra Agrawal, Project Director, C3iHubsaid, “C3iHub has taken up the challenge to launch 125 startups in 5 years in critical cybersecurity areas associated with cyber physical systems. So far, 30 startups have been launched in the 1st and 2nd cohort, and invitation for 3rd cohort application has already been floated.”
About C3iHub
C3i (Cyber Security and Cyber Security for Cyber-Physical Systems) Innovation Hub has been set up to address the issue of cyber security of cyber-physical systems in its entirety. From analyzing security vulnerabilities and developing tools to address them at various levels of system architecture, to translating these tools to deployment-ready software, to nucleating start-ups developing these tools at scale, to partnering with industries in this domain and co-development and transfer of these technologies, to training the next generation of cyber security researchers and professionals.
