Black Hat launches inaugural India cybersecurity conference in Bengaluru

Black Hat India 2026 marked its inaugural edition in Bengaluru, organised by Informa Markets in India. The four-day event, held at the Sheraton Grand, Brigade Gateway, brought together researchers, security practitioners and industry leaders for training, research presentations and strategic discussions from 27 to 30 October 2026. The conference featured 13 hands-on training courses delivered by 19 trainers, 70+ summit speakers, and more than 2,000 Business Hall delegates, including 200+ CXOs, CISOs and VIP buyers. Black Hat Arsenal showcased 44 open-source security tool demonstrations across 32 workstations and four hands-on labs.

Keynotes and themes reflected the evolving security landscape. Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of CERT-In and Controller of CCA, and Kudelski Security’s Nathan Hamiel delivered principal addresses, with a special address by Shri Rajesh Kumar, IPS, CEO of I4C. The programme explored AI security, digital payment fraud, emerging cyber threats and post-quantum readiness, alongside discussions on securing India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and translating technical risks into business priorities.

The event emphasised India’s rapid digital growth and its cyber risk, noting that India’s average cost of a data breach in 2026 stood at ₹25.5 crore, an increase of about 16% year on year. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director of Informa Markets in India, highlighted the participation of government and industry figures from NPCI, the RBI, NCIIPC, and major firms, underscoring the significance of bringing a global Black Hat platform to India. The debut was supported by Diamond Partners TrendAI, Upwind and EY.