Kumar Bahukhandi
Bank of Maharashtra has announced the launch of FinSpark’26, a national-level cybersecurity hackathon aimed at encouraging students and dropouts across India to develop solutions for real-world cybersecurity challenges in the banking sector.
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Bank of Maharashtra launches FinSpark’26, a national cybersecurity hackathon for students to solve real banking security challenges and win Rs. 10 lakh+ rewards
With the theme “Securing the Future of Banking,” FinSpark’26 is designed to bring together young technology minds, cybersecurity enthusiasts and problem-solvers to build innovative ideas that can strengthen digital banking security, fraud prevention, cyber resilience and customer trust.
The hackathon invites participants to register, choose a problem statement, build individually or with a team, and compete for national recognition. The initiative offers a Rs. 10+ Lakh Prize Pool*, with the Top 20 teams getting an opportunity to present their solutions at the Grand Finale at COEP Technological University, Pune. Winning teams will also get an Opportunity to Showcase at Global FinTech Fest 2026*, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
FinSpark’26 focuses on mission-critical areas of banking cybersecurity, including insider threat detection, privileged access misuse, AI-driven correlation of cybersecurity telemetry, transaction behaviour analysis, fraud prevention and proactive threat identification. Through this initiative, Bank of Maharashtra aims to encourage practical, scalable and secure solutions that can support the evolving needs of the banking industry.
The hackathon features two cybersecurity-led problem statements. The first is Privileged Access Misuse & Insider Threat Detection, where participants are encouraged to build solutions that can detect misuse of privileged accounts, identify insider threats, study behavioural patterns and support risk-based access control. The second is AI-Driven Correlation of Cybersecurity Telemetry & Transactional Behaviour, where participants can explore how cybersecurity signals and transaction behaviour can be connected to detect anomalies, fraud patterns, suspicious activity and potential threats more effectively.
Participants can register individually or in teams of up to four members. They are expected to select a problem statement, develop a structured idea or prototype, and submit their solution for evaluation. Submissions will be assessed on parameters such as business potential and relevance, security considerations, uniqueness of approach, user experience, scalability, and ease of development and maintenance.
Beyond competition, FinSpark’26 is designed as a learning and innovation platform. Participants will get exposure to real-world banking challenges, mentoring support, national-level recognition and the opportunity to refine their ideas through the hackathon journey. The Top 20 teams shortlisted for the Grand Finale will present their solutions before experts from relevant domains, with a focus on identifying ideas that are practical, secure and relevant to the future of digital banking.
Speaking about the initiative, Bank of Maharashtra said, “Cybersecurity is one of the most important pillars of modern banking. Through FinSpark’26, Bank of Maharashtra aims to encourage young innovators to think deeply about real banking security challenges and build solutions that can contribute to a safer and more resilient digital banking ecosystem. This initiative reflects our commitment to innovation, technology adoption and nurturing future-ready talent.”
FinSpark’26 is open to students and dropouts across India who are interested in cybersecurity, technology, AI, data, fraud prevention, secure digital banking and innovation.
Participants can register for FinSpark’26 at: www.finsparkhackathon.com/auth/register.
