SkillsDA

What SkillsDA does

SkillsDA (legally INGU's Knowledge Academy Private Limited) is a Chennai-headquartered cybersecurity skills development, training, and consulting organization operating in India. The company serves three primary customer segments — academia, industry/enterprise, and government — delivering training and capacity-building programs in cybersecurity, digital forensics, IoT, data privacy, blockchain, space technology, automotive cybersecurity, and quantum computing. Its flagship programs include the Naan Mudhalvan scheme (mandatory cybersecurity courses across ~400 Tamil Nadu colleges via TNSDC MoU), NASSCOM Foundation/DXC CSR skilling projects (4,011 students certified), and the Bharath DPO Programme (45-hour hybrid DPDP Act-aligned privacy certification).

The company's core technology stack comprises a Multi-Tenant Learning Management System (LMS) with SCORM support, browser-based Virtual Cyber Labs (VLABs) for simulating attack scenarios, a gamified assessment framework (AuditQuest), and SAMMAT, a DPDP Act-ready consent and grievance management platform. It also operates an ISO 17025 NABL-accredited Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) lab equipped with 100+ forensic tools, and delivers ISACA ATO certification programs for CISA, CISM, and CRISC. SkillsDA has won the MHA-iDEX DISC 9 Challenge (cybercrime investigation courseware), the IoTSF Cybersecurity Leadership Award 2024 in London, and the MeitY/DSCI Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 in two categories.

SkillsDA's revenue model blends professional services (training delivery, consultancy, CoE implementation, DFIR testing) with platform licensing (multi-tenant LMS as white-label product) and event-driven demand generation through the annual CERT-In Samvaad conference (~350 delegates). Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales to government and corporate clients, CSR program execution via NGO partners, self-serve individual enrollment through skillsdalms.com, and academic channel partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; transactions appear to be inquiry-driven with multi-year contracts for institutional engagements. The company is privately held, founder-led by Managing Director Kottaram V Ramesh, with no disclosed external funding.

Name

SkillsDA

Legal name

INGU's Knowledge Academy Pvt Ltd

Website

https://skillsda.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SkillsDA is a Chennai-based cybersecurity training, capacity-building, and consulting firm serving academia, enterprises, and government in India. It delivers accredited certifications, virtual labs, DFIR services, and DPDP compliance platforms via institutional MoUs and CSR-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Training and Education Services

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time) (BPAEANAE), Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM), Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity training services
• Digital forensics consulting
• Data privacy compliance
• Learning management platform
• Cyber investigation courseware

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Certification & Training Programs: Revenue generated from professional certification courses in cybersecurity, digital forensics, IoT, data privacy, blockchain, and related emerging technologies. Courses are offered as individual enrollments through the LMS and as corporate/group training engagements.
2. Bharath DPO Programme: Structured 45-hour hybrid privacy governance training program aligned with DPDPA 2025 and global privacy frameworks. Sold as a certified program for privacy professionals.
3. Multi-Tenant LMS Licensing: The multi-tenant LMS platform is offered as a product/solution to course creators, universities, corporates, certification bodies, and government skilling initiatives. Generates licensing revenue from platform hosting, customization, and white-label arrangements.
4. Digital Forensics CoE Lab Implementation: End-to-end Digital Forensics laboratory setup services for institutions, including infrastructure design, tool deployment, workflow standardization, and operational readiness. Offered as a Lab-as-a-Service model.
5. Consultancy & Compliance Services: Revenue from DPDP Act implementation consulting, cybersecurity audit support, DFIR testing services, and establishment of Centres of Excellence for academia and industry.
6. CSR Skilling Projects: Large-scale government and corporate-funded skilling and employability projects executed through registered NGO partners. Revenue generated from end-to-end program delivery including mobilization, training, certification, and placement support.
7. CERT-In Samvaad Conference: Annual conference hosting fees and sponsorship revenue from CERT-In empanelled auditing organisations and industry sponsors.
8. Faculty Development Programme (FDP / ToT): Train-the-trainer programs for faculty members, jointly certified by SkillsDA and NIELIT, covering emerging cybersecurity topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SkillsDA provides cybersecurity skills development, training, capacity building, and consulting services to academia, industry, and government. Its core offerings include a proprietary Multi-Tenant LMS Platform, the SAMMAT Consent Management Platform (DPDP Act-ready), and the Cyber Lab training courseware with browser-based Virtual Labs (VLABs) and gamified assessments. The company also runs an ISO 17025 NABL accredited DFIR Lab, delivers ISACA ATO certifications (CISA/CISM/CRISC), the Bharath DPO Programme, and provides DFIR testing, DPDP Act implementation, and Cyber Security Audit Support services.

Product overview

SkillsDA operates a platform-plus-services model anchored by two core products: the Multi-Tenant LMS Platform for scalable eLearning delivery with SCORM support, and the SAMMAT Consent Management Platform for DPDP-compliant consent governance. These are complemented by the Cyber Lab training courseware featuring Virtual Labs (VLABs), which together form the digital learning ecosystem. SkillsDA also delivers specialized services including DFIR Testing Services, Digital Forensics CoE Implementation, DPDP Act Implementation, Cyber Security Audit Support, and Capacity Building Solutions. The portfolio extends to certification programs (ISACA ATO for CISA/CISM/CRISC), government-skilling initiatives (NSQF/NCrF aligned courses, Naan Mudhalvan, NASSCOM), and corporate training programs, supported by a network of Centers of Excellence in digital forensics and IoT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Tenant LMS Platform A secure, scalable multi-tenant Learning Management System with SCORM support that enables course hosting, assessment delivery, and learner management across multiple independent organizations, with data isolation, custom branding, centralized admin control, and analytics dashboards.
• SAMMAT - Consent Management Platform A Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act-ready consent and grievance management platform that manages the full consent lifecycle — purpose-based consent capture, validation, modification, withdrawal, grievance handling, and exportable consent artefacts — for data fiduciaries.
• Cyber Lab - Cyber Security & Cybercrime Investigation Training Courseware A cloud-enabled cybersecurity and cybercrime investigation training ecosystem that combines a Learning Management System, browser-based Virtual Labs (VLABs), gamification-driven assessments, and scenario-based simulations for government, law enforcement, and academia.
• DFIR Testing Services Digital Forensics & Incident Response testing services delivered from the ISO 17025 NABL accredited DFIR Lab, including forensic analysis, incident data assessment, endpoint analysis, mobile device analysis, rapid digital triage, and structured reporting.
• Digital Forensics CoE Implementation A Lab-as-a-Service offering for building fully functional Digital Forensics laboratories aligned with ISO best practices, covering lab design, tool deployment, workflow standardization, and operational readiness for academic and enterprise environments.
• DPDP Act Implementation Services Consulting services for operationalizing DPDP Act compliance through phased implementation covering applicability assessment, gap analysis, privacy audits, DPIA, control frameworks, SAMMAT platform integration, and governance.
• Cyber Security Audit Support Comprehensive cybersecurity audit support delivered through CERT-In empanelled auditors, including pre-audit readiness, framework-based audits (NIST, CIS, COBIT, MITRE ATT&CK), and audit reporting.
• Bharath DPO Programme A 45-hour hybrid privacy governance program aligned with DPDPA 2025 and global frameworks, covering privacy fundamentals, DPO governance, DPIA, global regulations, AI governance, and incident management. Delivered as a Certified Privacy Leader program.
• ISACA ATO Certifications (CISA, CISM, CRISC) ISACA Accredited Training Organization (ATO) offering globally recognized Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification programs for IT risk and security professionals.
• Capacity Building Solutions End-to-end institutional capacity development covering infrastructure development, labs with accreditation support, Centers of Excellence, curriculum design, LMS deployment, and faculty development programs for academia and industry.
• Corporate Training Programs Outcome-driven corporate skilling programs for reskilling, upskilling, regulatory readiness, and emerging technology adoption, with flexible delivery modes and industry-aligned curriculum.
• Faculty Development Programme (FDP / ToT) A Master Trainer-led Faculty Development / Train-the-Trainer program with hands-on virtual lab training, jointly certified by SkillsDA and NIELIT, covering cybersecurity, IoT, digital forensics, AI, ethical hacking, and the DPDP Act.
• NSQF Aligned Courses NSQF-aligned skilling programs for government professionals at levels 4-7, covering cybersecurity, governance frameworks, and digital transformation with role-based learning.
• NCrF Aligned Courses AICTE-approved, industry-ready skilling programs aligned with National Occupational Standards, eligible for up to 3 credit points under NCrF, with standardized assessments conducted by Nasscom FutureSkills Prime.
• Data Privacy Awareness Workshops Practitioner-led workshops for operationalizing DPDP Act obligations, covering consent management, grievance redressal, breach preparedness, and AI privacy risks.
• Customized Courses Tailor-made learning programs aligned with organizational strategic goals, regulatory requirements, and role-specific needs, delivered by experienced trainers with hands-on learning.
• AuditQuest - Gamified Cybersecurity Audit Simulation A gamified cybersecurity audit simulation platform delivered through SkillsDA's gamification engine, providing experiential learning for cybersecurity audit training. Launched at the CERT-In Samvaad 2025 conference with measured outcomes of 95% critical thinking, 92% problem-solving, and 88% team collaboration scores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21,816 students trained across all programs and states; 4,011 students certified under NASSCOM Foundation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2022MoU exchange between SkillsDA (INGU's Knowledge Academy Pvt Ltd) and TNSDC for the Naan Mudhalvan initiative — a flagship skill-building program of the Govt. of Tamil Nadu. The program makes SkillsDA cybersecurity courses mandatory for Computer Science engineering students across ~400 colleges in Tamil Nadu. Launched in presence of Hon'ble Chief Minister MK Stalin.
• NASSCOM Foundation / DXC TechnologyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDXC-NASSCOM Foundation Project empowering students from economically weaker sections in 2-tier and 3-tier colleges with training in Cybersecurity, IoT, and BPM. SkillsDA delivers training with 4,011 students certified and multiple placement drives conducted in partnership with Thiruvalluvar University and Vellore Collector.
• RRU (Rashtriya Raksha University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with RRU and TCIL mentioned in gallery/captions for collaboration in cybersecurity training and capacity building.
• TCIL (Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with RRU and TCIL mentioned in gallery/captions for collaboration in cybersecurity training and capacity building.
• Adobe (CSR Partner)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdobe CSR-funded skilling projects executed in two phases. Phase 1 (Nov 2023 – May 2024) covered 530 mobilized/491 trained with 41% women and 48% certified/placed. Phase 2 (Sep 2024 – Apr 2025) covered 1,045 mobilized/1,000 trained with 59% women and 49% certified/placed.
• NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFaculty Development Programme jointly certified by SkillsDA and NIELIT, with 100% contact-mode delivery and Master Trainer expertise.
• ISACA (Accredited Training Organization)coreTechnology or IntegrationSkillsDA is an ISACA Accredited Training Organization (ATO) authorized to deliver CISA, CISM, and CRISC certification programs aligned with global IS/IT governance and risk management standards.
• Nasscom FutureSkills PrimecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNCrF Aligned Courses include standardized assessments conducted by Nasscom FutureSkills Prime (SSC for IT & ITeS) for quality evaluation and certification.
• Skill India Pvt LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlacement partner under NASSCOM Foundation project. 2,008 candidates placed through Skill India Pvt Ltd and UPLUS Technology.
• UPLUS TechnologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlacement partner under NASSCOM Foundation project. 2,008 candidates placed through Skill India Pvt Ltd and UPLUS Technology.
• ISACA ATO Certifications (CISA, CISM, CRISC)coreTechnology or IntegrationAs an ISACA ATO, SkillsDA delivers three flagship certification programs: Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).
• Thiruvalluvar UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlacement drive venue and partner for NASSCOM Foundation project. Attended by Prof. Dr. T. Arumugam, Vice Chancellor, highlighting institutional support for student employability.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: Global cybersecurity training and certification provider focused on security engineering, SOC, and incident response; broader portfolio than SkillsDA but directly comparable in advanced technical cybersecurity skills training.
• UpGrad: Large Indian edtech offering professional upskilling in technology, data, and cybersecurity; broader portfolio and stronger consumer brand, but competes for the same corporate and learner wallet.

Others

• NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime: Industry-led digital skilling platform used by SkillsDA as an assessment partner; not a direct competitor but operates adjacent in the same cybersecurity skilling ecosystem with a different operating model.
• Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU): Indian national security university delivering cybercrime investigation and policing training; SkillsDA is a partner but RRU is comparable as a publicly funded cybersecurity and digital forensics capacity-building institution.

Direct peers

• EC-Council: Global cybersecurity certification body (CEH, CHFI, etc.) operating an Authorized Training Center network; comparable as a cybersecurity credentialing and training ecosystem, including ATC channel model.
• Simplilearn: Digital skills training provider offering cybersecurity, cloud, and data programs to professionals globally; directly comparable as a paid bootcamp/certification platform with similar enterprise and individual segments.
• InfosecTrain: India-based cybersecurity and IT certification training company delivering courses across security, cloud, and governance; closely comparable in target audience (Indian professionals seeking global certifications) and curriculum depth.
• Great Learning: India-based professional upskilling platform covering cybersecurity, data, and management programs with university-credentialed certificates; competes in the same corporate and individual cybersecurity upskilling segments.
• Koenig Solutions: IT and cybersecurity training company offering vendor-authorized certification courses and customized corporate training; directly comparable in IT technical certification delivery and enterprise training model.

Regional players

• NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology): Government-run Indian IT/cybersecurity skilling body delivering accredited certification courses; SkillsDA already partners with NIELIT, but NIELIT itself is a comparable credentialing and capacity-building player in the same Indian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skillsda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillsda-cybersecurity
• Facebookfacebook.com/skillsda.chennai

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 SkillsDA