The initiative explicitly targets reducing India’s reliance on imported surveillance systems, stressing the need to embed cybersecurity, privacy, and ethical safeguards into all new technologies developed for law enforcement
India’s push for indigenous and secure surveillance technology received a major boost last week with the successful conclusion of the CCTV Surveillance, Security & Forensics Hackathon 2.0.
The two-day Grand Finale, hosted in New Delhi by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) in association with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the CyberPeace Foundation, aimed to develop secure, cost-effective, and scalable CCTV solutions for Indian law enforcement.
The event saw an overwhelming response, drawing 768 teams from both academia and industry, underscoring the strong domestic interest in bridging the technology gap for frontline policing.
Focus On AI, Cybersecurity & Cost-Efficiency
In his inaugural address, Director General of the BPR&D, Shri Alok Ranjan, emphasised the organisation’s commitment to fostering innovation in policing.
The Hackathon specifically challenged participants to innovate across four critical domains:
AI-enabled monitoring
Cybersecurity of surveillance networks
Cost-effective models for deployment
Indigenous hardware solutions
After a rigorous shortlisting process, 10 finalist teams presented their ideas, showcasing the potential of young innovators to strengthen digital evidence and forensic capabilities within the country’s justice system.
ADG Shri Ravi Joseph Lokku highlighted the crucial role of young minds in tackling emerging security challenges, while Maj. Vineet Kumar of the CyberPeace Foundation reiterated the importance of building smarter, home-grown technologies for public safety and national resilience.
The initiative explicitly targets reducing India’s reliance on imported surveillance systems, stressing the need to embed cybersecurity, privacy, and ethical safeguards into all new technologies developed for law enforcement.
The competition concluded with DG BPR&D conferring prizes to the top three winning teams: Manu Shree, Shlok Rawat, and Vaishal Malu, for their impactful solutions.