Kanpur, October 31, 2025: C3iHub - A Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), today announced the launch of C3iHub Arena, its new, in-house developed hackathon platform. The platform is engineered with a cybersecurity-first architecture to provide a trusted, scalable, and seamless solution for hosting hackathons, coding competitions, Quizzes, and Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges.

Developed entirely within C3iHub, the platform addresses the growing need for a secure and reliable environment for technical evaluations and innovation challenges. C3iHub Arena is designed to serve a diverse audience, including government organizations, academic institutions, and corporate partners seeking to host secure cybersecurity events, as well as students and professionals eager to compete.

This platform also enables universities, government agencies, and industry partners to host customized hackathons and cybersecurity contests on the platform. With robust infrastructure and technical support, C3iHub Arena ensures a smooth experience for everyone - organizers and participants, making it easier to innovate, solve problems, and develop cybersecurity expertise efficiently.

"With C3iHub Arena, we are not just launching a platform; we are creating a secure ecosystem for innovation," said Prof. Somitra Sanadhya, Project Director, C3iHub. "Our goal is to provide a robust, trusted, and scalable solution built in India, for the world. It’s designed to manage everything from national-level hackathons to intricate cybersecurity drills seamlessly, ensuring trust and transparency for both organizers and participants."

Key Features of C3iHub Arena:

• Seamless Event Management: An intuitive dashboard allows for easy event creation, timeline setting, and management of prizes, rules, and resources.
• Diverse Challenge Design: Organizers can create multiple rounds with various challenge types, including Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ), CTF, Coding, and Problem Statements.
• Robust Security & Integrity: To ensure fair competition, the platform enforces advanced security measures, including mandatory full-screen mode, disabled copy-paste functionality, context menu protection, and real-time activity monitoring for suspicious behavior.
• Comprehensive Analytics: The platform provides tools to review submissions, assign scores, manage leaderboards in real-time, and export detailed reports.
• Frictionless Experience: A simple and quick registration process, including Google sign-in options and rich profiles linked to GitHub and LinkedIn.
• Seamless Collaboration: Participants can effortlessly create or join teams using unique invitation codes and manage their team memberships.
• Unified Dashboard: A clear and intuitive interface allows participants to browse events, track real-time progress, access challenge rounds, and see live leaderboard rankings.

The platform is accessible at https://hackathon.c3ihub.iitk.ac.in/ and is set to organize its first major national-level hackathon, HACK IITK 2025-2026, for which registrations will start on 1st Nov 2025. C3iHub Arena is positioned to become the go-to platform for institutions and organizations that prioritize security and integrity in their innovation and talent-scouting competitions.

ABOUT IIT KANPUR

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959 by an Act of Parliament, holds the distinction of being recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for its excellence in science and engineering education, IIT Kanpur has made significant contributions to research and development over the decades. Its expansive, lush green campus spans 1,055 acres and hosts a rich array of academic and research resources. The institute comprises 20 departments, 27 centers, three interdisciplinary programs, and three specialized schools across engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines. With over 570 full-time faculty members and more than 9,500 students, IIT Kanpur remains a leader in fostering innovation and academic rigor.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in