The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), in association with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and CyberPeace Foundation, successfully hosted the Grand Finale of the CCTV Surveillance, Security & Forensics Hackathon 2.0 at New Delhi.
The two-day event, inaugurated by Shri Alok Ranjan, Director General, BPR&D, brought together senior officials, academia and industry experts to encourage the development of indigenous, secure, scalable, and cost-effective CCTV solutions tailored to the needs of Indian law enforcement agencies. With an overwhelming participation of 768 teams (739 from academia and 29 from industry), the Hackathon highlighted inclusivity with women participation and showcased innovative approaches across four key areas: AI-enabled monitoring, cybersecurity of surveillance networks, cost-effective models, and indigenous hardware solutions. After rigorous shortlisting, 10 finalist teams presented their ideas through demos and Q&A sessions with the jury, reflecting the immense potential of young innovators to strengthen digital evidence and forensic capabilities.
Speaking at the event, DG BPR&D Shri Alok Ranjan underlined that the Hackathon reflects BPR&D’s commitment to fostering innovation in policing and bridging the gap between technology and frontline enforcement.
ADG Shri Ravi Joseph Lokku emphasized the role of young minds in tackling emerging security challenges, while Maj. Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President, CyberPeace Foundation, reiterated the importance of building smarter, home-grown technologies to support public safety and resilience. The competition concluded with DG BPR&D conferring prizes to the winning teams – Manu Shree, Shlok Rawat, and Vaishal Malu, who secured the top three spots, along with three consolation awardees – for their impactful solutions.
The initiative underlined India’s need to reduce reliance on imported surveillance systems and promote indigenous, AI-driven, and secure alternatives. It also highlighted the importance of embedding cybersecurity, privacy, and ethical safeguards in surveillance technologies to ensure a safe and responsible digital future for law enforcement.
