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India's new IIT-like institute for the AVGC-XR industry, is ready to tie up with leading players in the technology space, including NVIDIA, Facebook, and YouTube

Barely a day before the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) made the announcement to establish an IIT-like national body for the creative ecosystem—the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT)—leading tech bigwigs like Adobe, Google, and Meta signed letters of intent (LoIs) with IICT during the first-ever edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw signed and exchanged the agreements with the tech industry representatives on the third day of WAVES 2025. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan and MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju were present on the occasion.

"We have initiated a program which is new in the world of films and entertainment," Vaishnaw explained.

IICT (which will function on lines similar to IITs) will introduce professional talent to India's burgeoning AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics-Extended Reality) industry.

For this purpose, the Centre has brought on board tech majors, including long-term partnerships with Adobe, Alphabet (of Google and YouTube), Meta (of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram), Wacom, Microsoft, and NVIDIA.

The occasion was also graced with the presence of NVIDIA VP Richard Kerris, JioStar's Sanjog Gupta, Adobe VP Mala Sharma, Google India Country Head Preeti Lobana, Wacom Senior Director Rajiv Malik, State Government and Healthcare Head of Sales Sandeep Bandibekar, Microsoft's Director Mainstream Services Partners Sandeep Bandivdekar, Public Policy Director at Meta Sunil Abraham, and key IICT stakeholders, etc.

Appreciating the technology industry partners who had bestowed IICT alliances, the Union Minister reaffirmed India's commitment to making IICT a large education infrastructure for the AVGC-XR industry.

"We will apply the same model that we have developed for our nation's IITs and IIMs, to make it an international institution," Vaishnaw asserted.

"These collaborations are aimed at fostering education, R&D and innovation in animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, film and extended reality," the ministry added.

While the guns fell silent following India's aggressive military action under Operation Sindoor — the third publicly announced strike against Pakistan after Balakot and Uri — another, more insidious conflict was being waged across screens and social media timelines. Along with the gunfire on the border, a digital war broke out, characterized by deepfake audio, manipulated videos, and a torrent of disinformation aimed at framing global opinion and shaking public confidence.

The Rise of Deepfake and AI-Generated Content

Perhaps the most dramatic trend in this wave of disinformation was the alleged use of deepfake technology. Audio recordings, purportedly of Indian military leaders "accepting defeat," spread quickly online. Although these recordings remain unverified, experts say that generative AI is now driving a new and sinister front of war — the psychological battlefront. The employment of synthetic, hyper-realistic content has increased the difficulty of separating fact from fiction, potentially eroding military credibility and provoking public outrage.

Lesson: We are on the cusp of an age where information warfare is no longer merely about words — it's about persuasively fake visuals and audio. This requires increased media literacy not only among citizens but also among journalists, policymakers, and military organizations.

The Genesis of the Disinformation Campaign

Nearly as quickly as Indian strikes started, Pakistani state media and social media channels went into action. Among their assertions: Indian warplanes, including the advanced Rafale, were downed; Indian bases such as Srinagar Airbase were heavily attacked; and Indian troops had incurred "colossal" losses.

Along with these allegations were so-called proofs — photographs and videos posted online that soon went viral. But Indian fact-checking organizations such as the Press Information Bureau (PIB) soon refuted many of them. For instance:

• Reused media: A pre-existing video of a MiG-29 crash in Rajasthan (2024) was used as proof of a new Indian loss.
• Doctored video: Unrelated violence footage in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region was presented as alleged attacks on Indian military installations.
• Official echo chambers: Quotes by Pakistani officials such as Defence Minister Khawaja Asif added an insubstantial layer of believability to these assertions, reinforcing the same.

The Digital Battlefield: Real Frontline, Virtual Ammunition

What Operation Sindoor forcefully illustrates is that the frontline is no longer merely at the Line of Control or border outposts. It cuts across Twitter timelines, WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, and YouTube livestreams. In the geopolitics of the day, information — or rather disinformation — is a powerful weapon.

This is not just about deceiving the public; it's a calculated psyop (PSYOP) with the intent to demoralize the adversary, confuse international viewers, and mobilize domestic support. Disinformation also has the goal of:

• Damaging India's military credibility
• Stirring domestic political discussion
• Shaping global diplomatic opinions

India's Countermeasures: Countering With Facts

Having seen the danger, India quickly countered the cyber attack.

• PIB fact-checking: The government's fact-checking department put out quick denials, usually within hours, to debunk false assertions and put things right.
• International media alertness: Channels such as India Today, The Times of India, and some international agencies picked up on the campaign of misinformation, pointing out its calculated approach and effect.

But such efforts also highlight a disheartening reality: in the era of information, debunking a falsehood simply may not suffice. By the time fact-checks materialize, the hoax has often succeeded in inflicting damage.

Why Media Literacy Is Now a National Security Imperative

As ex-NSG commando Brigadier Govind Singh Sisodia put it so bluntly in a recent interview: "We are no more concerned about bread over ammunition." Today, though, the ammunition is not missiles or bullets; it's viral tweets, trending hashtags, and doctored videos.

The public needs to become its own first line of defense. Citizens, journalists, and policymakers alike need to:

• Challenge sensational assertions, particularly from unofficial or hostile sources.
• Depend on established news sources and double-check pivotal updates.
• Be sensitive to symptoms of deepfake manipulation, such as conflicting video/audio signals.
• Since truth is the first casualty of war, its protection involves communal attentiveness.

From AI-based deepfakes to coordinated disinformation operations, the character of war is being remade before our very eyes. While cannonballs can kill on the battlefield, disinformation can undermine trust in institutions, spread fear, and break up national cohesion far beyond the war zone.

India's armed forces and intelligence agencies have certainly adjusted to the kinetic demands along the border. But the cyber space calls for a whole-of-society approach — where educated citizens, nimble institutions, and strong media ecosystems all combine to become the bulwark against information and psychological assaults.

As global tensions escalate, the world needs to prepare not only for newer, more sophisticated weapons, but also for more sophisticated falsehoods.

In pursuing India's surgical strikes under 'Operation Sindoor' against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a sustained propaganda campaign by Pakistan followed. It was to mislead through disinformation with the intention of derailed Indian military action's strategic and psychological effect.

From extant and verified facts, the top five salient case studies of Pakistani-disinformation funded disinformation operations ever since Operation Sindoor were to how easily deployable information apparatus under the Pakistan belt attempted to sway national as well as global perception. 

The most steady case of fraudulent propaganda was the example of a Pakistani shooting down an Indian Air Force Rafale combat plane in the context of Operation Sindoor. Certain Pakistani social media websites, and subsequently Indian media, shared what was claimed to be images of the wreckage. Press Information Bureau (PIB) and Indian media also carried out a fact-checking exercise which showed that the images that were shared belonged to an earlier MiG-29 crash in Rajasthan in 2024 and had nothing at all to do with Operation Sindoor.

Lesson: One method by which instantaneous visual "proof" is developed to validate created news reports is by recycling long-ago irrelevant events.

Few Pakistani handles uploaded a video stating that the Indian Air Force's Srinagar Airbase was hit by Pakistan in its retaliatory act. Reverse-image search and geolocation conducted by unbiased fact-checkers revealed the video was of a scene of sectarian violence in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and had nothing to do with any kind of military action in India.

Lesson: Misattribution of the video is employed to create fear, generate confusion, and suggest military parity.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, appearing on live TV, proceeded to utilize unsubstantiated social media reports in alleging that Indian aircraft had been shot down and general destruction ensued. Official weight was thus lent to already widespread rumor. The claim was subsequently disproven, though, by the Indian government, and independent corroboration by international organizations did not emerge.

Lesson: Official statements by the government via social media to declare victory in the military can lead to institutionalizing falsehoods.

The viral video does not have any basis in an actual military war. Look closely, and the pictures appear to be from an episode of a video game. Others were swift to perceive the glisten of deceit — most notably the overly bright night sky background and blocky, video game-like simulation of plane movement and explosions. Frame-by-frame analysis also verifies that the graphics do not have the grainy natural texture and depth of true imagery that is so common in computer-generated imagery of sim games.

Clips claiming to depict the shooting down of an Indian warplane by Pakistan are spurious. They are CGI and not combat records. Such gossipy information from unknown sources is not favored and should be cross-checked with reputable news networks and fact-checking websites.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Monday confirmed that his office has formally filed a complaint with the state's Director General of Police (DGP) regarding a report of a fake website that was allegedly impersonating the Department of General Education. The website allegedly used the name of the department to provide educational services, providing serious reasons to suspect fraud and cheating the public.

The problem was revealed following a news item in one of the local dailies on Monday. The report held a replica website to have been set up in the name of the Kerala Board of Public Examinations. The website was said to be carrying out services relating to the SSLC and Plus Two courses, for example, conducting examinations—activities squarely within the domain of the official education authorities.

Acting with alacrity, the office of Minister Sivankutty submitted a written complaint to the DGP and requested a detailed inquiry into the incident. The minister has also requested due legal action against perpetrators who designed and operated the phony website.

"Having such a website not only misleads students and parents but also harms the reputation of the state's education system," was the minister's statement. Sivankutty emphasized conducting a proper investigation to find the perpetrators of the operation and ensuring that something like this does not happen again in the future.

Till date, more information on the investigation progress is pending. The state police will have to determine the reach of the operations of the fake website, for instance, whether or not there was any monetary transaction, admissions or the issue of certificates through the website.

Cyber security experts have long cautioned against the development of replica portals mimicking government websites, generally to trick innocent citizens. This incident has again brought into focus the importance of increased awareness and online literacy among citizens.

Simultaneously, the education authorities also asked students, parents, and the general public to visit only official government websites and make sure that any online learning platform is genuine before using it. The Department of General Education also plans to issue an advisory in the near future to caution the citizens against falling victim to the same.

They could touch great heights as tech wizard children someday. But currently, a group of girl students has to go down to the low - as janitors, cleaning toilets of their own engineering school in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur.

Cleaning toilets is one of the chores Vani (name changed) must perform before attending class at 9am, while the rest are watering plants or helping out in the college kitchen. Why? These part-time jobs allow Vani to pay for the hostel in the engineering college - something her daily wager parents cannot afford. The 21-year-old is in her third year of BTech in AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning).

As it happens, Vani's college has about a dozen such girl students - pursuing various branches of engineering - who have adopted similar works to pursue their dreams of further studies.

And they would only be delighted to do the same. "I am well aware of the financial situation at home. I don't find anything wrong with taking up any job that could bring relief to them," said Vani in an interview to TOI, suggesting that she did not want to be an encumbrance to her parents.

A local of Guntur's Bellamvaripalem, Vani's mother makes Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day, and her father another Rs 250 at the maximum. She started working during BTech when her parents borrowed money to pay her hostel fee.

Part-time work to gain confidence: Principal

Vani's hostel fees are Rs 37,500 per year. "I did not want them (her parents) to borrow once again. That's why I went to the management and enquired if I could earn some money. I never felt shy to clean toilets, as we are the ones who use them. It felt like keeping our house tidy," Vani said, indicating that she works early morning before going to college or working at night after returning from classes.

Her fellow classmate Sravya also maintains the same schedule. "We work in the morning for a week and in the evenings for another week. It takes two to three hours to complete our work. From cleaning rooms, restrooms, and gardening, we do all the work along with other staff," explained the final-year AI student.

With these responsibilities, though, this group is also the guardians who wake up other students early to study and share food among other duties.

Although these students admit to some disagreements with the seniors regarding how they abuse their authority now and then (when they demand that they go to class or switch off the lights), they say it is worth it for the advantages.

"My family was already in debt of Rs 3 lakh. So, I knew that I had to do these jobs to survive. Whenever I faced some resistance, I used to approach authorities for help," said Aarti, a first-year engineering student from Kurnool. Raised by a single parent, she said the family was welcoming to whatever support came their way since seven children are completely dependent on their mother since their father passed away when she was in class 9.

The college principal came forward and said that students were being encouraged to take part-time work so that they could be sure that they could sustain themselves. "We receive approximately 200 students annually who are interested in working part-time, but we consider only 8 to 10 who are genuine. They are the ones who are largely in need and possess a strong mindset," the principal further said.

In a nation where millions of people search for improved livelihoods every day, employment continues to be painfully behind the times for most blue-collar workers. That is where Vahan.ai, a Bengaluru startup, comes in, changing recruitment in the background with artificial intelligence—filling the gap between workers and India's thriving gig economy.

Started in 2016 by AI specialist Madhav Krishna, trained at Columbia University, Vahan.ai is today one of the country's largest blue-collar job portals. How did it get here? An AI recruiter that makes the usually disorganized, time-consuming recruitment process easier, linking candidates to roles in large employers such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Flipkart.

"Triples recruiter productivity—from one per day to three," Krishna states. The website now puts around 40,000 employees on the job per month, and over a period of time it has put over 10 lakh employees into jobs in India's major cities.

Vahan's story started with a basic WhatsApp chatbot for upskilling workers. But then the team realized that though upskilling is useful, getting a job is the game-changer. In 2019, Vahan fully pivoted into hiring and joined Y Combinator, supported by Khosla Ventures.

What makes Vahan’s approach stand out is its use of advanced AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4, to manage conversations and documentation in both English and Hindi—with plans to expand to eight more Indian languages. The AI recruiter now handles nearly 20,000 calls daily, working to understand the nuances of local dialects and speech patterns. "Even the humble 'haan' can be used 20 different ways in India," Krishna asserts, citing how difficult it is to create technology that truly speaks locally.

For Vahan, AI does not equal replacing human touch but scaling it. In India's very personal employment culture—where a bhaiya or chacha is the first person one approaches for a job—Vahan's model does not rely on the agencies and recruiters but enables them with better tools instead of eliminating them from the picture.

Looking forward, Krishna's vision goes beyond gig economy. Vahan is already expanding into industries such as manufacturing and transportation, with the goal of applying its success to other industries.

In a nation of vast labor potential, Vahan's fusion of AI and human-centered design presents a vision of the future that is positive—one in which technology is an enabler, not a replacement, for good work.