The Future Crime Research Foundation has opened nominations for the FCRF Excellence Awards 2026, the third edition of its awards initiative recognising outstanding work in cybersecurity, cybercrime response, digital forensics, cyber policing, fraud investigation, privacy, risk management and digital trust.
The awards will be presented during the FutureCrime Summit 2026, scheduled for 6th and 7th August 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The summit, now positioned as one of India’s major platforms on technology-enabled crime, is expected to bring together law enforcement officers, cybersecurity professionals, digital forensics experts, policymakers, lawyers, investigators, risk leaders, researchers and industry representatives.
This year’s awards are being structured across two broad tracks: one for professionals and organisations working in cyber, risk and digital trust, and another for police officers, cybercrime units, cyber police stations and law enforcement teams. The expanded framework reflects the increasingly connected nature of India’s cybercrime response, where investigators, technologists, forensic specialists, compliance teams, lawyers and police units often work across overlapping domains.
Categories span cybersecurity, data protection, fraud, forensics and cyber law
The professional awards track is designed for individuals, teams and organisations working across the private sector, public institutions, academia, research, consulting, legal practice, financial services and the wider technology ecosystem.
The categories open for nomination include:
- FCRF Excellence Award in Data Protection and Privacy Leadership
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Governance
- FCRF Excellence Award in Digital Forensics and Incident Response
- FCRF Excellence Award in Threat Intelligence and OSINT
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Law and Technology Policy
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Crisis Management
- FCRF Excellence Award in Artificial Intelligence Security
- FCRF Excellence Award in Financial Crime Compliance
- FCRF Excellence Award in Fraud Risk Management
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Awareness and Capacity Building
The categories show a deliberate attempt to keep the awards broad enough to include senior cyber leaders, data protection officers, fraud investigators, cyber lawyers, DFIR professionals, threat intelligence analysts, compliance specialists, cyber crisis managers, innovators and organisations building digital trust systems.
For the policing and law enforcement track, the award categories include:
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Policing
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Crime Investigation
- FCRF Excellence Award in State Cybercrime Response
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Forensics
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Intelligence Operations
- FCRF Excellence Award in Social Media Crime Investigation
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Patrol and Monitoring
- FCRF Excellence Award in Digital Policing Innovation
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Helpline Operations
- FCRF Excellence Award in Cyber Lab Development
These policing categories are aimed at recognising officers, police stations, cyber cells, cybercrime units and departments working on the frontlines of cybercrime investigation, fraud response, digital evidence, cyber forensics, citizen awareness and institutional capacity building.
Distinguished jury to guide evaluation and shortlisting
The nominations will be evaluated by the FCRF Excellence Awards team and placed before a distinguished jury panel comprising senior figures from policing, defence, cybersecurity, cyber law, digital governance and public service.
The jury members include Prof. (Dr.) Vikram Singh, former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, and Chancellor of Noida International University; Maj Gen Sandeep Sharma (Retd.), a senior defence cyber specialist and former Indian Army officer; Arun Kumar, former Director General of the Railway Protection Force; Dr. Gulshan Rai, former Director General of CERT-In; AVM (Dr.) Devesh Vatsa VSM (Retd.), Advisor at the Data Security Council of India; Dr. Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and a leading cyber law expert; and Prof. Triveni Singh, Ex-IPS, Chief Mentor of the Future Crime Research Foundation.
Their presence gives the awards a multi-disciplinary evaluation framework. Cybercrime and digital risk are no longer confined to one institution or profession. A strong cyber fraud case may involve policing, banking, digital forensics, cyber intelligence and legal interpretation. A data breach may require technology teams, legal advisors, regulators, crisis managers and public communication. The jury reflects that complexity.
According to the award process, nominations will be carefully reviewed after submission. Shortlisted applicants may be contacted for additional details, clarifications or supporting documents. The final awardees will be selected through the evaluation process and honoured at the Future Crime Summit.
Recognition before a national cybercrime and digital trust audience
Over its previous editions, the FCRF Excellence Awards have recognised senior police officers, cybercrime investigators, industry professionals, legal experts, cybersecurity practitioners and institutional contributors working in areas linked to cybercrime prevention, digital trust and technology-led investigation.
The 2026 edition is expected to build on that legacy by bringing both professional and policing categories under a structured nomination framework. The awards are not limited to conventional corporate achievement. They are designed to recognise field impact, investigative work, public safety contribution, cyber resilience, institutional capacity, privacy leadership, legal thought, fraud prevention and innovation.
The awards will be presented during the FutureCrime Summit 2026, where winners will be recognised before a national audience of law enforcement leaders, policymakers, technology experts, cybersecurity professionals, lawyers, investigators, researchers and industry representatives.
Nominations for the FCRF Excellence Awards 2026 are now open. Interested individuals, organisations, police officers, cyber units and eligible institutions can submit their entries through the official awards application link.
Click here to apply for the FCRF Excellence Awards 2026.
Registrations for the Future Crime Summit 2026 are also live.
Interested participants can click here to register for the FutureCrime Summit.
Organisations interested in sponsorships and exhibitions may write to research@futurecrime.org.
