The agreement will also include technical bootcamps, hackathons, industry case studies, and certification programmes to ensure education is directly aligned with industry needs
India’s national security and digital trust are being compromised by a critical shortfall of skilled cybersecurity professionals, according to a leading industry CEO, speaking at the signing of a new educational partnership in Kattankulathur.
SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) and SISA, a global cybersecurity company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on cybersecurity education and workforce development. The partnership aims to directly address the country’s skills gap by equipping students with industry-relevant skills and practical experience.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Dharshan Shanthamurthy, Founder and CEO of SISA, highlighted the urgency of the situation. “India’s shortfall of skilled professionals is a challenge that affects both digital trust and national security,” he said, emphasising that the new MoU is designed to support the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. The initiative aligns with the government’s recent announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, a programme created to support the creation of over 3.5 crore jobs.
Under the partnership, students at SRMIST will gain hands-on experience with enterprise-grade cybersecurity tools, co-develop frameworks, and work on solutions for emerging threats. The collaboration was formally launched with a Hackathon Challenge, which saw participation from more than 200 students.
Dr. Revathi Venkataraman, Professor and Chairperson of the School of Computing at SRMIST, underscored the importance of this practical approach. “Cybersecurity cannot be learned from textbooks alone,” she said. “Students need structured, hands-on programmes that cover areas such as threat detection, identity and access management, compliance, and cloud security. This partnership provides opportunities for students to learn, practise, and innovate in a realistic environment.”
The agreement will also include technical bootcamps, hackathons, industry case studies, and certification programmes to ensure education is directly aligned with industry needs. SISA will provide up to 60 hours of annual training for the broader SRMIST cybersecurity community, and students will gain access to the company’s AI-driven cybersecurity platform, hosted on a dedicated virtual private cloud. The partnership reflects SRMIST’s commitment to developing skilled professionals and strengthening India’s digital ecosystem. The university, which holds an A++ accreditation from NAAC, is recognised as a leading institution for academic excellence and research innovation.