Hyderabad, September 03, 2025 — The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) celebrated its 28th Foundation Day, reinforcing its legacy of academic excellence and research leadership with a special focus on Cybersecurity.
The celebrations were graced by Dr. Jitender, Director General of Police (DGP), Telangana, as the Chief Guest, and Ms. Shikha Goel, IPS, Director, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), as the Guest of Honour. Together, they inaugurated IIITH’s new Cyber MANTHAN (Cybersecurity Management and Next-Gen Technology Advancement Network) Center and TGCSB’s Vyuha Labs – a Cyber Innovation Lab.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitender highlighted the critical need for collaboration between academia, law enforcement, and industry to tackle cybercrime:
“IIITH is one of India’s most prestigious institutions—a dream destination for bright students. The institute has established a strong reputation for its academics and research in a relatively short span of time. I wish it the best for the future”
Speaking further, he added that Cybercrime today outnumbers traditional crime and constitutes a significant percentage of police cases in Telangana. While cybercrimes are increasing nationwide, Telangana has managed to reduce its numbers through constant innovation and proactive policing,” he said.
He added that Telangana Police, consistently ranked among the best in India, were able to achieve this by embracing innovation. It could achieve an 11% decline in cybercrime cases in Telangana, compared to a 36% national increase. Similarly, we have also witnessed a 20% decline in financial losses due to cyber fraud in Telangana, despite national losses rising.
“The new research centres inaugurated today will greatly benefit academia, startups, and innovators, while also supporting police forces within and outside Telangana,” he noted.
Ms. Shikha Goel called the Cyber Innovation Lab a “game changer” in developing cybersecurity solutions:
“Cybercrime is the fastest-growing crime in the world. Globally, losses to cyber fraud are estimated at USD 11.9 trillion, which makes it the third largest economy after the US and China. In 2024 alone, India lost ₹24,000 crore to cyber fraud, with Telangana accounting for ₹1,900 crore. On average, 250 new cases are reported every day in Telangana, with daily losses of around ₹5 crore,” she said.
Despite this, Telangana recorded an 11% decline, proving that cybercrime can be contained with innovation and coordination.
Ms. Goel also explained how Telangana’s T4C (Telangana Cyber Crime Coordination Centre) became a national model for the Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre).
She stressed the need for proactive policing, advanced research, and capacity building:
“These facilities will enable research, innovation, and startups to develop practical solutions, which in turn will greatly assist the police.”
An MoU between IIITH and TGCSB was also signed on the occasion.
Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director, IIITH, underscored the institute’s vision of interdisciplinary research and nurturing future leaders in technology.
The Foundation Day celebrations also featured the annual Alumni Awards, instituted during IIITH’s Silver Jubilee. This year’s awardees were: Manish Jain (B.Tech Hons, CSE – 2003) – Research Engineer at Google DeepMind, recognised for path-breaking research in AI, Machine Learning, Game Theory, and Multiagent Systems. The other recipient was Naveena Yanamala (MSIT Bioinformatics – 2001) – Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of AI/ML Research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey. She also serves as a Special Government Employee with the US FDA and Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Naveena was instrumental in stabilising IIITH’s MSIT program, which later led to the establishment of the Centre for Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics.
