Introduction

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The Terrier Cyber Quest 2025 (TCQ 2025) was conducted as a multi-day event to promote cybersecurity, AI-driven defence innovation, and military–civil fusion. Organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with CyberPeace Foundation, CERT-In, and India AI Mission, the initiative aimed to foster innovation, research, and collaboration across defence, academia, industry and government while preparing India’s youth for the challenges of future cyber and AI-enabled warfare.

TCQ 2025 was supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Education, MeitY Startup Hub, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) at IIT Madras, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Tata Group, and the United Service Institution of India (USI).

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TCQ 2025 Hackathon (6–7 October 2025)

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The two-day hackathon was held on October 6 and 7, 2025. The hackathon featured two main tracks:

• Bug Hunting: Hosted on the Indian Army’s BOSS Linux system, focused on detecting vulnerabilities and strengthening cyber defence mechanisms.
• Datathon: Focused on AI-driven defence challenges including drone flight anomaly detection and Quantum Machine Learning / AI for Threat Detection.
  
  

Over 6,300 teams from leading institutions such as IITs, NITs, and defence organisations participated. After rigorous evaluation, 13 teams in the Bug Hunting track and 14 teams in the Datathon track were shortlisted for the grand finale. The hackathon showcased India’s talent in cybersecurity and AI/ML, highlighting innovative solutions for real-world defence challenges.

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One Day Seminar and Award Ceremony (8 October 2025)

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The final day featured the seminar and award ceremony, attended by senior dignitaries and experts including:

• Maj Gen S S Patil, VSM, Offg DGTA
• Lt Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), Former National Cybersecurity Coordinator, PMO
• Dr. T.G. Sitharaman, Chairman, AICTE
• Prof (Dr) G.S. Bajpai, Vice Chancellor, NLU Delhi
• Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NETF, NBA & NAAC
• Maj Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President, CyberPeace Foundation

The seminar included keynote addresses and a fireside chat on cybersecurity, military–civil fusion, and AI-driven defence innovation. Discussions emphasised the need for indigenous technologies, cyber resilience, and nurturing India’s young talent in cybersecurity.

The award ceremony recognised winning teams from both tracks and concluded with the release of the official TCQ 2025 Compendium, highlighting key outcomes, innovations, and collaborative achievements.

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Way Forward

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TCQ 2025 reinforced India’s vision of becoming a global leader in cybersecurity and AI innovation. The initiative will continue to foster partnerships between defence, academia, and industry, while nurturing a skilled and technologically empowered workforce prepared for future cyber and AI challenges.

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