National Cyber Security Research Council

What National Cyber Security Research Council does

National Cyber Security Research Council (NCSRC) is an Indian cybersecurity association founded in 2011 and headquartered in New Delhi. Operating in formal association with State and Central Governments and AICTE, the organisation functions as a multi-stakeholder platform bridging government, industry, and academia in India's cybersecurity ecosystem. Its primary activities are organising national cybersecurity conferences across multiple Indian cities (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad), running hackathons (HackathonX) and technical workshops (Hacker's Day Out), convening an online Faculty Development Programme for academia, and hosting an online panel discussion series on emerging threats.

NCSRC's core productised offering is NIRMATA (National Information Risk Maturity and Trust Assessment), an open cybersecurity maturity framework distributed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and maintained in partnership with Elytra Security. NIRMATA evaluates organisations across 12 security pillars (Governance, Risk & Compliance, Application Security, Asset & Data, Identity & Access, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Incident Readiness, Business Continuity, Privacy, Culture & Training, Monitoring & Detection) via 191 assessment questions graded on a 0-5 maturity scale, producing an Overall Maturity Level (OML) via the published formula OML = 5×(ΣWp/100). The framework aligns to DPDP Act 2023, CERT-In Directions 2022, IT Act 2000, ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701:2019, ISO 42001:2023, and NIST CSF 2.0. The Royal Cyber Force volunteer community and a CSR-focused vertical (corporate-NGO collaboration, data transparency, CSR compliance) round out the offering.

The business model is community-and-event-led with limited direct monetisation. NIRMATA self-assessment is free and the framework is open-source; revenue derives from membership fees (pricing not publicly disclosed), paid conference registrations across city editions, and CSR-related engagements. A 30+ member Core Committee, drawn from CISOs and senior security leaders at enterprises such as Microsoft, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, Paytm Money, ICICI Direct, Mahindra Group, L&T Group, and Persistent Systems, provides advisory gravitas and CISO network access. The company is private, has 51-100 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

National Cyber Security Research Council

Legal name

National Cyber Security Research Council

Website

https://ncsrc.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Cyber Security Research Council is an Indian cybersecurity association, in association with central and state governments, that operates cybersecurity conferences, hackathons, and the open-source NIRMATA maturity framework, serving professionals, enterprises, academia, and government stakeholders across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Research and Training Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Governance (GRC) (BPAHAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE), Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity research
• Maturity assessment framework
• Cybersecurity training
• Cyber community programs
• Cybersecurity conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NCSRC offers membership programs for individuals and organisations. The membership tier structure is described on the membership page (type of members), suggesting a subscription or fee-based membership model. Details of pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed in the source material.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NCSRC fundamentally operates a cybersecurity research, training, and community-building council for India. It delivers the free NIRMATA self-assessment framework (12 pillars, 191 questions, 5 maturity levels) under the TRUST-IN Bharat programme, runs paid/registered National Cyber Security Conferences, technical workshops (Hacker's Day Out), and hackathons (HackathonX) across Indian cities, and maintains the Royal Cyber Force volunteer community for national cyber defence contribution.

Product overview

National Cyber Security Research Council (NCSRC) is a research and advocacy organization focused on strengthening India's cybersecurity ecosystem. The primary product offering is the NIRMATA (National Information Risk Maturity and Trust Assessment) cybersecurity maturity framework, maintained under the TRUST-IN Bharat programme. NIRMATA is a free, open-source self-assessment platform (CC BY-SA 4.0) enabling Indian organisations to measure their cybersecurity posture across 12 pillars via 191 questions, with instant maturity scoring and guided improvement resources. Complementary offerings include the NIRMATA Guides providing question-by-question practical guidance with Indian-context tools and pricing. Beyond the framework, NCSRC operates multiple programmes including the Royal Cyber Force volunteer community, HackathonX innovation challenges, Cyber Freedom initiatives, NCSRC-ADSA research programmes, and organises cybersecurity conferences and workshops across Indian cities. The organisation also offers online panel discussions and faculty development programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HackathonX: Innovation challenge program for cybersecurity enthusiasts
• NIRMATA
• TRUST-IN Bharat
• Royal Cyber Force
• Cyber Freedom
• NCSRC-ADSA

Products and services

• NIRMATA (National Information Risk Maturity and Trust Assessment) An open cybersecurity maturity framework for Indian organisations that enables structured self-assessment across 12 security pillars with 191 questions, providing weighted maturity scores and guided improvement paths under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
• TRUST-IN Bharat The public programme that maintains the NIRMATA framework and hosts the self-assessment platform, providing open governance and community review of the cybersecurity framework.
• Royal Cyber Force (RCF) A volunteer community initiative under NCSRC for cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts to contribute to national cyber defence, participate in hackathons, engage in security research, and gain access to exclusive research, tools, and certificates.
• HackathonX Cybersecurity innovation challenge platform and hackathon initiative organised by NCSRC for fostering innovation and identifying cybersecurity talent across India.
• National Cyber Security Conference Regional cybersecurity conferences organised by NCSRC in cities across India (Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai editions) convening government, industry, and PSU leaders to address India's cybersecurity challenges, with 7-hour CPE certificates for attendees.
• National Cyber Security Workshop (Hacker's Day Out) Hands-on immersive cybersecurity workshop featuring live demonstrations of real-world cyber attacks including web application security, network attacks, mobile attacks, phishing, AI security failures, ransomware, and social engineering.
• NCSRC Membership Program Membership programme for individuals and organisations offering structured tiers of community, networking with Top 100 CISOs of India, access to resources, and recognition in India's cybersecurity ecosystem.
• Online Faculty Development Programme (Online FDP) Online faculty development programme for training faculty members nationwide in cybersecurity, designed to build academic capacity through curriculum-relevant cybersecurity training.

Quantifiable outcome

• NCSRC trains faculty members nationwide and resolves critical cyber cases — building a safer, stronger digital India.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Elytra SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElytra Security is the custodian and primary developer of the NIRMATA framework. They maintain the TRUST-IN Bharat platform and NIRMATA self-assessment tools in partnership with NCSRC. Framework changes are versioned, published, and open for community review on GitHub. Elytra Security also offers paid third-party verification services separately.
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICTE is the regulatory body for technical education in India. The National Cyber Security Conference 2026 (Chennai Edition) is organised by NCSRC in formal association with AICTE, indicating a flagship partnership for national-level events.
• IITM Research Park, ChennaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Cyber Security Conference 2026 (Chennai Edition) and the Technical Workshop (Hacker's Day Out) are hosted at Raman Hall and Ramanjuan Hall at IITM Research Park, Chennai — providing academic credibility and venue partnership for NCSRC events.
• Central and State Governments of IndiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSRC is formally in association with various State and Central Governments of India. The organisation's stated mission is to safeguard the Nation from current threats in Cyberspace towards National Security. Government partnerships underpin the national-level reach and credibility of NCSRC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SANS Institute: Global provider of cybersecurity training, GIAC certifications, and research. Closely comparable to NCSRC's training programmes, FDPs, Hacker's Day Out workshops and the Royal Cyber Force talent-development angle.
• ISACA: Global association for IT governance, risk and cybersecurity professionals (CISA, CISM, CRISC). Highly comparable to NCSRC as a membership- and certification-driven GRC community targeting CISOs and auditors, though with global rather than India-specific scope.
• (ISC)²: International nonprofit that certifies cybersecurity professionals (CISSP, CCSP) and runs member communities. Closely comparable to NCSRC's professional membership, training and certification-adjacent offerings such as 7-hour CPE certificates at conferences.
• Data Security Council of India (DSCI): NASSCOM-affiliated industry body focused on cybersecurity and privacy in India. Most directly comparable to NCSRC as an India-specific cybersecurity council engaging government, industry and academia on cyber policy, standards and capacity building.
• EC-Council: Owner of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential and operator of hackathon-style cyber competitions. Comparable to NCSRC's HackathonX, Hacker's Day Out and Royal Cyber Force ethical-hacking community focus.

Broad incumbents

• NASSCOM: India's apex technology industry body, with cybersecurity and AI councils. Overlaps with NCSRC on industry–government–academia convening, policy advocacy and skilling, but at a much broader tech-industry scope.
• CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team): National nodal agency for cybersecurity incident response under MeitY. Comparable to NCSRC's national cyber defence mission and is the regulatory authority whose 2022 Directions NIRMATA explicitly aligns to.
• ISEA (Information Security Education and Awareness): MeitY-funded national programme for cybersecurity education, training and awareness. Comparable to NCSRC's Online FDPs, workshops and academic outreach mission but operated as a government programme rather than a private council.

Regional players

• C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing): Government R&D organisation under MeitY working on cyber security, among other areas. Comparable to NCSRC as an India-focused cybersecurity R&D and capacity-building body, but government-owned and with a much broader mandate.

Emerging players

• Nullcon: India-based international cybersecurity conference and training event with a strong hacker community (similar to Hacker's Day Out). Comparable to NCSRC's conference series and HackathonX as a community- and event-led cybersecurity brand in India.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncsrc_delhi
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-cyber-security-research-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Cyber Security Research Council