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IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur Launch Indias First Practice-Oriented Bachelor of Cybersecurity
IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur have jointly announced the launch of India’s first practice‑oriented Bachelor of Cybersecurity (B Cyber), a four‑year undergraduate programme that will begin in the 2026‑27 academic year. The degree is designed to combine classroom instruction with two years of industry deployment, a feature that the institutes say will produce graduates who are job‑ready from day one.
The programme will be offered at both campuses, with admissions conducted jointly by the two institutes. A common entrance test is scheduled for 5 July 2026, and the first cohort will start in July 2026. According to the institutes’ announcement, the curriculum is competency‑based and covers foundational subjects in the first two years, including programming, Linux administration, cryptography, computer organisation, operating systems, networking, ethical hacking, web security and penetration testing. Advanced stages introduce security operations, secure systems, firmware reverse engineering, hardware security, malware analysis, cloud security and critical infrastructure security. Students may also choose electives such as digital forensics, embedded systems security, secure processor microarchitecture and applied cryptography.
A key feature of the B Cyber programme is the two‑year Field Deployment Professional Project. During the final four semesters, students will work on live cybersecurity assignments under the guidance of professionals from strategic and critical organisations. The institutes say this approach will allow graduates to leave college with hands‑on experience rather than only theoretical knowledge.
The programme is aimed at preparing professionals for roles in cyber defence, security operations centres, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, malware analysis, cloud security, digital forensics, hardware security and critical infrastructure protection. It also lays a foundation for higher studies and research in cybersecurity and computer science.
Eligibility rules for the inaugural batch are detailed by the institutes. Candidates cannot hold admission in the B Cyber programme and another academic programme simultaneously. Students who joined an IIT programme listed under JoSAA 2025 are not eligible, even if they later discontinued or did not continue the course after reporting. Candidates whose IIT admission was cancelled after joining for any reason are also ineligible. Students admitted to an IIT preparatory course for the first time in 2025 are eligible to apply. For those allotted an IIT seat through JoSAA 2025, eligibility remains if they did not report online or at a reporting centre, withdrew before the final round of seat allotment, or had their seat cancelled before the final IIT allotment round.
The launch comes amid a growing cybersecurity skills gap in India. The institutes cite industry estimates that the country faces a shortage of nearly 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals. According to the institutes, the new undergraduate programme is intended to help address this demand by providing specialised training from the undergraduate level.
IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti said that cybersecurity is now central to India’s technological sovereignty and national security. He noted that protecting modern digital systems requires professionals with strong academic foundations as well as extensive practical experience.
The programme’s practice‑oriented model is a departure from conventional engineering degrees, which traditionally emphasise theory over industry exposure. By integrating field deployment into the curriculum, the B Cyber programme seeks to bridge the gap between academic learning and the skills required by employers.
Admissions for the inaugural batch will be conducted jointly by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur, and the first cohort will begin in July 2026. The institutes have announced that the entrance test will be held on 5 July 2026.
The launch of the B Cyber programme marks a significant step in India’s effort to build a domestic cybersecurity workforce capable of protecting the nation’s expanding digital ecosystem across finance, healthcare, governance, manufacturing, telecommunications and defence.
The institutes have not yet released details on tuition fees, seat allocation, or specific industry partners for the field deployment component. The programme’s success will depend on the extent to which it can attract students and secure industry collaboration.
The B Cyber programme is expected to launch in July 2026, with the first cohort entering the joint entrance test on 5 July 2026. The institutes have not yet announced the number of seats or the exact admission process beyond the joint test.
The programme’s focus on practical experience and industry deployment aims to produce graduates who can immediately contribute to India’s cybersecurity workforce, addressing a shortage that industry estimates place at nearly 1.5 million professionals.
The institutes have not yet confirmed the duration of the field deployment component or the specific organisations that will host students.
The B Cyber programme will begin in July 2026, with the first cohort entering the joint entrance test on 5 July 2026. The institutes have not yet announced the number of seats or the exact admission process beyond the joint test.
The programme will be offered at both campuses, with admissions conducted jointly by the two institutes. A common entrance test is scheduled for 5 July 2026, and the first cohort will start in July 2026. According to the institutes’ announcement, the curriculum is competency‑based and covers foundational subjects in the first two years, including programming, Linux administration, cryptography, computer organisation, operating systems, networking, ethical hacking, web security and penetration testing. Advanced stages introduce security operations, secure systems, firmware reverse engineering, hardware security, malware analysis, cloud security and critical infrastructure security. Students may also choose electives such as digital forensics, embedded systems security, secure processor microarchitecture and applied cryptography.
A key feature of the B Cyber programme is the two‑year Field Deployment Professional Project. During the final four semesters, students will work on live cybersecurity assignments under the guidance of professionals from strategic and critical organisations. The institutes say this approach will allow graduates to leave college with hands‑on experience rather than only theoretical knowledge.
The programme is aimed at preparing professionals for roles in cyber defence, security operations centres, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, malware analysis, cloud security, digital forensics, hardware security and critical infrastructure protection. It also lays a foundation for higher studies and research in cybersecurity and computer science.
Eligibility rules for the inaugural batch are detailed by the institutes. Candidates cannot hold admission in the B Cyber programme and another academic programme simultaneously. Students who joined an IIT programme listed under JoSAA 2025 are not eligible, even if they later discontinued or did not continue the course after reporting. Candidates whose IIT admission was cancelled after joining for any reason are also ineligible. Students admitted to an IIT preparatory course for the first time in 2025 are eligible to apply. For those allotted an IIT seat through JoSAA 2025, eligibility remains if they did not report online or at a reporting centre, withdrew before the final round of seat allotment, or had their seat cancelled before the final IIT allotment round.
The launch comes amid a growing cybersecurity skills gap in India. The institutes cite industry estimates that the country faces a shortage of nearly 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals. According to the institutes, the new undergraduate programme is intended to help address this demand by providing specialised training from the undergraduate level.
IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti said that cybersecurity is now central to India’s technological sovereignty and national security. He noted that protecting modern digital systems requires professionals with strong academic foundations as well as extensive practical experience.
The programme’s practice‑oriented model is a departure from conventional engineering degrees, which traditionally emphasise theory over industry exposure. By integrating field deployment into the curriculum, the B Cyber programme seeks to bridge the gap between academic learning and the skills required by employers.
Admissions for the inaugural batch will be conducted jointly by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur, and the first cohort will begin in July 2026. The institutes have announced that the entrance test will be held on 5 July 2026.
The launch of the B Cyber programme marks a significant step in India’s effort to build a domestic cybersecurity workforce capable of protecting the nation’s expanding digital ecosystem across finance, healthcare, governance, manufacturing, telecommunications and defence.
The institutes have not yet released details on tuition fees, seat allocation, or specific industry partners for the field deployment component. The programme’s success will depend on the extent to which it can attract students and secure industry collaboration.
The B Cyber programme is expected to launch in July 2026, with the first cohort entering the joint entrance test on 5 July 2026. The institutes have not yet announced the number of seats or the exact admission process beyond the joint test.
The programme’s focus on practical experience and industry deployment aims to produce graduates who can immediately contribute to India’s cybersecurity workforce, addressing a shortage that industry estimates place at nearly 1.5 million professionals.
The institutes have not yet confirmed the duration of the field deployment component or the specific organisations that will host students.
The B Cyber programme will begin in July 2026, with the first cohort entering the joint entrance test on 5 July 2026. The institutes have not yet announced the number of seats or the exact admission process beyond the joint test.
