RAKSHAM is an AI cybersecurity hackathon organised by ARIES and DevClub at IIT Delhi, in collaboration with Amazon and supported by the Learning Links Foundation. The competition challenges student
teams to design and build products that make India's digital financial ecosystem safer from AI-enabled threats — a pressing problem as India's UPI, digital banking, and wallet infrastructure scales and fraudsters deploy cloned voices of bank officials, deepfake videos of executives approving transfers, and AI-scripted scam workflows against real users. Who Should Apply The hackathon is open to students. Teams may consist of 2 to 4 members, and each team may submit only one entry. It suits builders with an interest in security, fraud detection, machine learning, and responsible AI who want to work on a nationally relevant problem statement. Tracks / Themes Participants choose one of three problem statements: 1. Voice Cloning Fraud Detection — design a safe, real-time way to identify voice-cloning fraud in banking or payment workflows, while protecting privacy and limiting disruption to legitimate users. 2. AI-Driven Scam Pattern Recognition — detect emerging AI-enabled scam workflows in UPI, banking, or wallet contexts and deliver timely, useful alerts without creating alert fatigue. 3. Deepfake Detection for Financial Communications — help people and institutions verify financial communications, detect manipulation, and create an actionable path for review, reporting, or response. Format & Timeline The competition runs in two rounds. Round 1 is an online submission: teams submit a single PDF containing a pitch deck (maximum 10 slides, excluding an optional appendix) covering the problem, user, threat scenario, detection approach, validation plan, safeguards, deployment pathway, and a 48-hour prototype plan, plus an architectural overview (maximum 3 pages or slides) with an end-to-end system diagram, data flow, detection logic, human review and escalation path, and security and privacy mitigations. Reviewers score only the submitted PDF, so it must stand on its own without a live pitch or external links. Round 2 is a 48-hour Grand Finale in person at IIT Delhi, where the top 30 teams build their prototype. Judging Criteria Submissions are evaluated out of 100 points: problem fit and user understanding (20), technical architecture and detection logic (20), solution value and differentiation (15), feasibility and finale execution plan (15), safety, privacy and responsible AI (15), adoption, integration and scale (10), and communication quality (5). The organisers note that substance matters more than slide polish, rewarding products that are specific, buildable, and safe. Prizes The total prize pool is worth ₹4,00,000 in cash: First place receives ₹2,00,000, Second ₹1,00,000, Third ₹50,000, and Fourth and Fifth ₹25,000 each. Rules Teams must use only synthetic, public, consented, or properly authorised data — no confidential bank, customer, or platform data. All AI-generated content, datasets, models, and third-party assets must be disclosed in an appendix. Incomplete submissions may be disqualified. About the Organiser The hackathon is run by ARIES and DevClub at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, one of India's premier engineering institutions, in collaboration with Amazon and with support from the Learning Links Foundation. How to Apply Registration closes on 7th October 2026 (listed as 2026-10-09 on the platform). The Grand Finale takes place on 24–25 October 2026 at IIT Delhi. For queries, contact +91 7038703979 or +91 7058559569, or email team.ariesiitd@gmail.com.
Eligibility
Open to students. Teams of 2–4 members, with one submission per team.
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