Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur's technology innovation hub, C3iHub, organised Startup Demo Day 2025 ‘Connect 1.0’, that opened with the launch of five pioneering products developed by its incubated startups.
The event was attended by leaders from government, academia, industry, and the investment community, and underlined C3iHub’s mission to accelerate India’s march towards technological sovereignty through innovations conceived, designed, and deployed within its ecosystem.
Among the major launch highlights, India’s security and surveillance, deep-tech, and cyber threat mitigation space got big push. Aerosys Aviation India Pvt. Ltd. unveiled the Eliminator Kamikaze Drone, engineered for GPS-denied environments and capable of autonomous precision strikes, while Maraal Aerospace introduced TEJASVAAN, a high-altitude, solar-powered unmanned aircraft designed for an impressive 12-hour endurance for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, a press statement informed.
There were also highlights in the blockchain domain. For instance, SecureDApp launched SecureTrace, a forensic platform to trace and analyse illicit transactions with automated investigation tools.
{{/usCountry}}There were also highlights in the blockchain domain. For instance, SecureDApp launched SecureTrace, a forensic platform to trace and analyse illicit transactions with automated investigation tools.
{{/usCountry}}Likewise, xIoTz presented its Regulatory Compliance and Standards (RCS) framework, offering pre-built compliance packs aligned with international security mandates, while Saptang Labs launched BlackFence, a national-scale cyber threat intelligence platform to counter fraud, phishing, impersonation, and brand abuse, the release added.
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The event also showcased engaging panel discussions, including Mission Rakshak: Cybersecurity Startups for Bharat Defence, Unlocking Synergies for Greater Impact, From Roadblocks to Runways: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities, and a Roundtable on the evolving startup ecosystem.
Discussions focsued on how a stronger collaboration between government, academia, and the startup community can unlock synergies to create ventures that are locally developed yet globally competitive.
In addition, the event featured an engaging startup pitch session, wherein as many as 8 startups presented their innovative solutions to a panel of esteemed investors.
Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director at IIT Kanpur, spoke on the vision of C3iHub, and said that the launches and the cumulative work being done by the 50 odd incubated startups testify the mandate to nucleate R&D to strengthen India’s cyber security space.
“As cyber-attacks are increasing multifold year-on-year, there is a need to have solutions that are affordable yet very robust, and indigenously built so that we have no external vulnerabilities. With growing synergy between the government, academia and other stakeholders, and with increased funding from both government and private sector, we are empowering the startups to pioneer the next big advancements to make India self-reliant in the entire cyber infrastructure and security space,” Prof, Agarwal added.
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It may be mentioned here that the event was inaugurated by Navin Kumar Singh, IPS, National Cybersecurity Coordinator of India (NCSC), as the Chief Guest.