The Army Institute of Technology (AIT), Pune an institution established in 1994 under the aegis of the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) has once again made the Indian Army fraternity proud by securing the First Prize at the Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2025, a premier National Cyber Challenge hosted by the Territorial Army in collaboration with CyberPeace.
A Triumph of Skill and Strategy
AIT’s victory came in the highly competitive Datathon Track, which focused on real-time cyber threat prediction and anomaly detection systems for defence networks. Competing under the theme ‘Quantum Machine Learning for Threat Detection’, the AIT team developed a sophisticated AI-based analytical model capable of identifying cyber anomalies and potential intrusions across defence infrastructure in real time.
The event attracted more than 6,300 participants from across the country, including top-tier institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and professionals from leading cybersecurity firms. Amid such tough competition, AIT’s innovative approach, precise implementation, and strong presentation stood out, earning them the coveted top position.
From Delhi Cantonment to South Block Glory
The 36-hour hackathon, conducted from October 6–7, 2025, at the Warden Centre, Delhi Cantonment, tested the endurance, creativity, and technical acumen of all participants. On October 8, the results were officially announced, and the AIT team was awarded a ₹1 lakh prize cheque by Major General S. S. Patil, Director General of the Territorial Army.
Their journey of triumph reached its peak on October 9, 2025, when the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, felicitated the team with the prestigious Millennial Trophy during a special ceremony at the 129 D Conference Hall, South Block, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi.
The occasion marked a proud moment not only for AIT but for the entire defence education ecosystem that continues to encourage innovation, discipline, and technological advancement among the youth.
AIT Pune: Where Innovation Meets Service
Renowned for nurturing the children of Army personnel, AIT Pune has steadily evolved into a hub of research and innovation, particularly in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, and Robotics. The institute’s recent success at multiple national-level hackathons underscores its commitment to combining academic excellence with technological relevance to national security.
The victory at the Indian Army Terrier Hackathon symbolizes the perfect blend of military ethos and modern engineering acumen, reminding the nation that India’s future defenders are not only trained in courage and discipline but also in cyber resilience and innovation.
