SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, and SISA, a global cybersecurity company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on cybersecurity education and workforce development in India. The partnership aims to equip students with industry-relevant skills and provide practical experience to prepare them for roles in cybersecurity and AI.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Dharshan Shanthamurthy, Founder and CEO of SISA, said, “India’s shortfall of skilled professionals is a challenge that affects both digital trust and national security. This MoU addresses the current skills gap and supports the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”
The MoU follows the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, which aims to support the creation of over 3.5 crore jobs in the next two years. The initiative is expected to benefit both students and young professionals while providing opportunities for industry collaboration in skills development.
Under this partnership, SRMIST students will gain hands-on experience with enterprise-grade cybersecurity tools, co-develop frameworks, and work on solutions for emerging threats. The collaboration was launched with a Hackathon Challenge, which saw participation from over 200 students.
Dr. Revathi Venkataraman, Professor & Chairperson, School of Computing, SRMIST, highlighted the importance of practical experience in cybersecurity education: “Cybersecurity cannot be learned from textbooks alone. Students need structured, hands-on programmes that cover areas such as threat detection, identity and access management, compliance, and cloud security. This partnership provides opportunities for students to learn, practise, and innovate in a realistic environment.”
The MoU includes technical bootcamps, hackathons, industry case studies, and certification programmes designed to align education with industry needs. SISA will also provide up to 60 hours of annual training for the broader cybersecurity student community at SRMIST. Students will have access to SISA’s AI-driven cybersecurity platform, hosted on a dedicated virtual private cloud, which will be integrated into the curriculum.
This collaboration reflects SRMIST’s commitment to developing skilled cybersecurity professionals and strengthening India’s digital ecosystem.