Ahmedabad's first police-led cybersecurity hackathon, KANAD S.H.I.E.L.D. 2026, brought together more than 100 technology startups and 1,500 students from across India on 19–20 August 2026, challenging participants to build real-world solutions against cyber fraud, dark-web threats, digital forensics challenges, and online safety risks. Organised by the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch, the event marks a significant shift in how Indian law enforcement is approaching the rapidly evolving cybercrime landscape — by crowdsourcing innovation from the private sector and academia.

Event Overview and Scale

The two-day hackathon was held at the KCG Campus in collaboration with i-Hub Gujarat, Karnavati University, TCS, and Google. Teams from 16 states registered to compete across 26 problem statements split between a Startup, Industry and Innovation Track and a Student Track. After an initial shortlisting round, organisers invited 50 startups and 70 student teams to present their prototypes and solutions.

The problem statements spanned a broad spectrum of emerging threats: AI-based threat intelligence, dark-web monitoring, financial crime and fraud analytics, women and child safety, cyber welfare, digital forensics, identity theft, data protection, and law-enforcement surveillance. The breadth of topics reflects the increasingly complex threat matrix that Indian police forces now confront.

What the Government Said

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who attended the inaugural session on 19 August, described the hackathon as more than a competition. 'Cybercrime could become a bigger challenge than traditional offences over the next decade and sustained collaboration between police, technology experts, startups and young innovators is a must,' he said. Sanghavi added that the event would help give a new direction to Gujarat Police's fight against cybercrime.

The event was reportedly six months in the making. A jury of 16 police officers of Superintendent of Police rank assessed entries over the two days, alongside around 24 professors and technical and forensic experts from institutions including Gujarat University, GTU, Rashtriya Raksha University, NFSU, IIT Gandhinagar, and the Directorate of Forensic Science.

Winners and Prize Money

In the Startup, Industry and Innovation Track, S4AI Technologies claimed the top prize of ₹5 lakh, with Threat-Tool Technologies receiving ₹3 lakh and Hornet Technologies LLP taking home ₹2 lakh. In the Student Track, Ahmedabad-based LexMatrix won ₹1.5 lakh, followed by Team Raptorz with ₹1 lakh and DigiRakshak with ₹50,000.

Training and Knowledge Sessions

On 20 August, around 300 police inspectors, sub-inspectors and personnel from Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat received specialised training. Cyber expert Rakshit Tandon conducted sessions on cybercrime detection and investigation tools. Harsh Dattani, Google's Regional Lead for Developer Relations, addressed the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

What Happens Next

Organisers confirmed that selected solutions will be further developed and considered for potential pilot projects with Gujarat Police. This signals that the hackathon is not merely a showcase event but a pipeline for operational tools — a model that, if replicated across states, could meaningfully accelerate India's law-enforcement technology capabilities.