CSO 100 Awards India

Application process:

• Eligible applicants may submit a nomination using the official awards form. Nominations can be submitted either by the nominee or on their behalf.
• After the application deadline, an expert panel comprising editors from Foundry’s global team will independently review and score each submission.
• Winners are selected based on the average scores awarded by the judging panel.
• All nominees will be notified via email regarding the outcome of their application.
• Award winners will receive exclusive invitations to both the awards ceremony and the conference. All other qualified applicants will be invited to attend the conference.

Application criteria:

• Eligible applications will be graded by various judges from a pool primarily composed of Foundry editors. Each entry is reviewed by a unique set of judges to ensure no two entries are evaluated by the same people.
• Key judging criteria include the year’s event theme (how did they secure digital future in an AI-Everywhere Era) technology innovation (how cybersecurity and IT was used in new ways) and business value delivery (measurable impact backed by data).
• Judges look for clear, detailed applications that focus on business goals, project results, and provide supporting data for security innovation and business value.
• Successful applications highlight industry context, before-and-after impact, challenges faced, solid metrics (ROI, profitability), and an engaging, first-person narrative.

The Fearless 100

One hundred CSOs and CISOs recognised for outstanding leadership and innovation.

The Game Changers

Special recognition for 50 cybersecurity leaders who have used IT innovatively to bolster cybersecurity posture and drive business value at their organisation.

Hall of Fame

Recognising CSOs who have received the CSO 100 Award for three or more consecutive years while serving at the same organisation.

CSO 100 Special Awards

Recognition for seven security leaders (one from each category) who have successfully implemented specific technologies across several high-priority areas.

2026 Categories:

Data Security Maestros I Zero Trust Mavens I Cloud Security Supremos I Data Privacy Evangelists I Endpoint Security Masterminds I AI Security Innovators I MDR Experts