Opportunity brief
All that you need to know about CyberPeace Foundation ISR Innovation Hackathon | Defence Intelligence Summit 2027
Are you ready to build solutions that strengthen the future of digital intelligence and security?
Shaastra 2027, the annual technical festival of IIT Madras, in collaboration with the CyberPeace Foundation, invites innovators, developers, AI/ML enthusiasts and content creators to participate in the ISR Innovation Hackathon, a flagship competition of the Defence Intelligence Summit 2027.
The competition aims to tackle emerging challenges surrounding AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes and digital manipulation through technology and public awareness.
About the Competition
The hackathon features two tracks:
Track 1: Agentic AI Tools (High Complexity)
Build the agent that catches the fake.
Develop an autonomous AI agent that monitors simulated social media, messaging and video feeds to detect deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation. Your solution should integrate multiple verification techniques, analyse evidence and generate explainable verdicts with confidence levels.
- Teams of up to 4 members.
- Submit a PPT/PDF abstract outlining your proposed solution.
- Shortlisted teams will demonstrate their working agents at the finale.
Track 2: Creator Content (Creative Challenge)
Make the reel that teaches the trick.
Create an original 30-90 second reel, video or carousel that educates audiences on identifying digital manipulation and misinformation.
Choose one theme:
- Emotional Manipulation
- Fake Experts
- Impersonation
- Manufactured Outrage
- Forward Before You Think
- Open to individuals or teams of up to 4 members.
- Entries can be submitted in any Indian language.
- Shortlisted participants will take on a surprise live creative brief at the finale.
Competition Structure
Round 1: Online Preliminary Round
Submit your AI agent abstract (Track 1) or original social media content (Track 2). Entries will be evaluated on creativity, originality, accuracy and technical feasibility.
Round 2: Offline Finale at IIT Madras
The top 10 teams from each track (20 teams in total) will be shortlisted and invited to the IIT Madras campus for the finale.
- Track 1: Shortlisted teams will demonstrate their AI agents live against a fresh simulated multi-platform feed.
- Track 2: Shortlisted teams will take on a surprise live creative brief on stage.
The finalists will showcase their solutions before a distinguished panel of judges from the CyberPeace Foundation and the defence and technology ecosystem.
Key Dates
- Registrations Close: December 7, 2026 (6:00 PM IST)
- Doubt Clearance Session: December 10, 2026
- Round 1 Submission Deadline: December 13, 2026 (6:00 PM IST)
- Offline Finale: January 3, 2027
Prizes & Recognition
A total prize pool of ₹90,000 is up for grabs!
- 1st Prize: ₹45,000
- 2nd Prize: ₹30,000
- 3rd Prize: ₹15,000
Resources & Guidelines
- Track 1 participants will work with a simulated multi-platform feed. Live platform scraping and real personal data are not permitted.
- All submissions must be original.
- Track 1 solutions must operate within the provided sandbox.
- Track 2 must not use synthetic media depicting real, identifiable people. AI-generated media must be labelled.
- Political-party content and material unsafe for general audiences are prohibited.
- Participants below 18 must provide verified guardian consent.
- Winning technical systems may be required to be open-sourced.
Ready to Make an Impact?
Whether you're building an AI agent to detect digital deception or creating content to help people recognise manipulation, this is your opportunity to contribute to a safer digital ecosystem.
Register now and be part of the CyberPeace Foundation ISR Innovation Hackathon at the Defence Intelligence Summit 2027!