Hyderabad: The Child Protection Unit (CPU) launched by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), at its SHIELD conclave last year, has delivered significant operational outcomes in combating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since its inception, resulting in over 1,20,563 tiplines being processed, 866 cases registered and 421 arrests, as compared to a 50,400 tiplines, 37 cases and 36 arrests the previous year, release from Telangana police stated.
Following this success, the second edition of the state’s flagship cybersecurity conclave, SHIELD 2026, was inaugurated on Thursday, February 5.
The conclave, bringing together law enforcement officers from 20 states, along with national and international stakeholders, aims to address emerging cyber threats and strengthen public safety.
As part of the inaugural programme, the Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao also formally launched key digital initiatives developed by TGCSB, including 1930 Saarthi, Sentinel (Cyber Crime Investigation Tool – CCIT) and C-Sight.
1930 Saarthi is an AI-powered voice agent deployed for the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) to enable faster guidance and multilingual support.
Sentinel (CCIT) is a Cyber Crime Investigation Tool designed for Investigating Officers to enable faster and uniform investigations across Telangana.
Meanwhile, C-Sight is an AI-powered solution to strengthen the Child Protection Unit by automating the processing and analysis of CSEAM-related tipline data.
Another highlight of SHIELD 2026 was the Technology Experience Zone (TEZ), which showcased advanced and experiential cybersecurity and public safety technologies.
The TEZ featured robotic dogs, humanoid robots, flight simulators, drone and counter-drone technologies, and AI-driven security solutions, etc.
The conclave also hosted CipherSprint, a national cyber innovation challenge launched under the SHIELD ecosystem. The challenge focuses on deployable prototypes and proof-of-concept solutions aligned with real-world policing and public safety needs.
This year, over 500 teams applied across multiple categories and 17 teams were selected as finalists to present solutions addressing real-world cybercrime and cybersecurity challenges.
The winning teams will receive a Rs 5 lakh grant and an opportunity to co-develop solutions with TGCSB.
Telangana cybercrime trends
The release stated that in the past year, Telangana recorded a six per cent reduction in cybercrime complaints, from 96,535 in 2024 to 90,369, against a national increase of nearly 24 per cent.
Financial losses reduced by 23 per cent, from Rs 1,901 crore to Rs 1,524 crore, exceeding the national average reduction of 4 per cent. Over Rs 534 crore has been put on hold and Rs 367 crore has been refunded to nearly 47,000 victims across 2024 and 2025. Collaboration with Meta also helped prevent 84 suicide attempts in recent months.
