Strengthening India’s Cyber Defence:BITS Pilani, CERT-In & Rapifuzz Redefine Cybersecurity Training
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India’s digital transformation is accelerating — and so is the global demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the world faces a shortage of 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals, a gap expected to persist through 2025. In India, the demand is rising rapidly — an Economic Times report noted a 14% jump in cybersecurity jobs over the past year. Together, these figures highlight the urgent need to build cybersecurity capacity and develop skilled professionals ready to protect India’s digital future.
Recognizing this urgent need, BITS Pilani, through its Center for Research Excellence in National Security (CRENS), under the guidance of CERT-In (MeitY), with Rapifuzz Pvt. Ltd. as the technology partner, launched the Professional Development Course in Cybersecurity — an initiative that combines cybersecurity innovation and hands-on training to prepare India’s next generation of cyber defenders.
The Collaboration: Academia Meets Cybersecurity Innovation
This initiative bridges academia, government, and industry to cultivate future-ready professionals with a comprehensive understanding of Network Security, Cryptography, Secure Communications, and advanced domains such as Cloud Security, Mobile Security, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations, and Incident Response & Management.
BITS Pilani (CRENS) provided academic leadership and a strong research foundation.
CERT-In (MeitY) guided the program’s alignment with national cybersecurity policy and compliance objectives.
Rapifuzz Pvt. Ltd., as the technology partner, powered the hands-on learning experience through its immersive cybersecurity training platforms — CyberKshetra™ and CRISISIM™.
Together, these entities have established a benchmark for continuous security education, DevSecOps training, and cyber resilience training in India.
Inside the Course: From Learning to Operational Readiness
The eight-week hybrid program combined academic rigor with immersive threat simulation and hands-on cybersecurity exercises. Delivered by faculty from BITS Pilani’s Pilani, Goa, Dubai, and Hyderabad campuses, along with Rapifuzz experts, the program featured seven structured modules and a live capstone project.
The inaugural cohort, representing professionals from defence, research, public sector, and private entities such as DRDO, ISRO, Defence PSUs, and the Armed Forces, gained exposure to:
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Real-world cyber-attack scenarios using CyberKshetra™
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Incident response simulations and crisis communication exercises with CRISISIM™
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Capture the Flag (CTF) training, Red Team/Blue Team exercises, and SOC training
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Threat simulations and adaptive learning in cybersecurity
Through these experiences, professionals developed deep capabilities in threat intelligence integration, zero trust security training, and security posture assessment, strengthening India’s cyber defense ecosystem.
CyberKshetra™: Immersive Cybersecurity Resiliency Platform
At the heart of the program was CyberKshetra™, Rapifuzz’s cyber range platform designed for cybersecurity training simulation and real-world threat exercises.
CyberKshetra™ enables participants to practice incident response simulation, DevSecOps training, and threat simulation in a secure, lifelike environment. Its adaptive learning framework and cybersecurity gamification make it one of the most advanced cyber resilience training platforms in India.
Key Features:
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Immersive threat simulation and defence training and incident response
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Red Team/Blue Team exercises and capture-the-flag scenarios
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Security posture assessment tools for performance benchmarking
“CyberKshetra™ bridges academic learning with enterprise-grade simulation,” said Sri Mohit Gopal Rampal, Founder & CEO, Rapifuzz®. “It builds critical decision-making under pressure — a core element of cyber resilience.”
CRISISIM™: Dynamic Crisis Simulation & Training Platform
Complementing CyberKshetra™, CRISISIM™ is Rapifuzz’s crisis management simulation platform, designed for real-time threat scenario simulation and cybersecurity crisis response.
CRISISIM™ allows organizations to test emergency response coordination, conduct cybersecurity tabletop exercises, and evaluate organizational resilience through crisis simulation and threat intelligence-driven scenarios.
Key Capabilities:
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Crisis simulation and multi-team coordination
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Cloud-based crisis management and remote crisis simulation
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Security breach simulation and incident response training
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Post-incident analysis and crisis management gamification
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By promoting adaptive crisis response and cyber attack preparedness, CRISISIM™ helps organizations strengthen their ability to manage complex digital crises in real time.
Valedictory Ceremony: Celebrating Cybersecurity Leadership
The valedictory ceremony, held on September 13, 2025, at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, celebrated the achievements of 90 professionals from India’s defense, research, and security sectors.
Distinguished guests included:
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Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Former Chairman, DRDO
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Sri U. Raja Babu, DG, Missiles and Strategic Systems, DRDO
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Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In
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Major General Ajay Misra, GOC, Telangana and Andhra Sub Area
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Sri Mohit Gopal Rampal, Founder & CEO, Rapifuzz Pvt. Ltd.
From BITS Pilani, Prof. Soumyo Mukherji, Prof. Sounak Roy, and Prof. M. Rama Manohara Babu were also in attendance.
The ceremony honored top-performing capstone teams for their innovative cybersecurity solutions and featured an industry showcase highlighting enterprise security solutions, security automation tools, and threat intelligence platforms from Rapifuzz, Globals Inc., Ramognee Technologies, and CSCC Labs.
Read the full coverage on Press Trust of India:
Paving the Path Ahead: Expanding India’s Cyber Talent Pool
The success of the inaugural batch marks a pivotal milestone in cybersecurity innovation. Encouraged by this achievement, BITS Pilani, under the guidance of CERT-In (MeitY), with Rapifuzz Pvt. Ltd. as the technology partner, has announced the second batch of the Professional Development Course in Cybersecurity, with registrations opening between December and January 2026.
By combining academic excellence, simulation-based learning, and real-world cybersecurity training, the program is shaping India’s next generation of cyber defenders — professionals equipped to secure enterprises, government systems, and cloud environments against evolving threats.
Apply Now
Be part of India’s cybersecurity transformation. Register here for the upcoming BITS Pilani–CERT-In–Rapifuzz Cybersecurity Program.
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