IOB Cybernova 2026 Hackathon Grand Finale Concludes, Driving Innovation in Fintech & Cybersecurity

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) successfully concluded the Grand Finale of its PAN-India “IOB Cybernova Hackathon 2026” at R.M.K. Engineering College, Thiruvallur. Organised as part of the PSBs Hackathon Series 2026, the initiative was conducted in alignment with the directives of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and coordinated by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). IOB partnered with the R.M.K. Group of Institutions as its Academic Partner for the national initiative.
 The 2026 edition focused on four key technology domains in banking:
•    Advanced Controls for Mule Account Detection and AML Compliance
•    Deepfake Resilient and Secure Digital Authentication Framework
•    Strengthening Fraud Prevention in Digital Payment Systems
•    Digital KYC Onboarding & Identity Threat Mitigation Architecture
The Grand Finale was graced by  T. Dhanaraj, Executive Director, IOB, alongside Vikram Khera, General Manager, IOB, and Shameer A., Chief Regional Manager (Thiruvallur Region), IOB. R. S. Munirathinam, Founder Chairman, and R. M. Kishore, Vice Chairman of the R.M.K. Group of Institutions, attended as Special Guests.
Addressing the participants, T. Dhanaraj commended the participants for their problem solving capabilities and emphasized the bank's mission to harness young talent to engineer robust, real-world solutions in Fintech and Cybersecurity. He highlighted IOB's commitment to bridging classroom theory with real-world deployment, pointing to the hands-on technical mentorship provided by the bank's experts throughout the prototype development phase.
Following the MoU signed between IOB and the R.M.K. Group of Institutions in January 2026, the nationwide hackathon witnessed strong participation, with 1,990 students forming 580 teams from across the country. After multiple screening rounds, 78 teams presented their ideas, with 42 teams advancing to the prototype development stage. A specialised jury comprising senior executives evaluated the final implementations and shortlisted the winning teams.
The Grand Finale witnessed the participation of 700+ students and 50 faculty members. Cash prizes were awarded to the winning teams, including a dedicated Challenging Contenders award recognizing an all-women team. Additionally, interactive audience activities, branded goodies, and participant prizes kept energy high throughout the event.
The successful conclusion of IOB Cybernova 2026 reinforces the Bank’s commitment to advancing secure digital banking infrastructure through industry-academia collaboration while empowering young technology talent across the country.