#FactCheck-Mock drill video falsely linked to death of Indian sailor in Gulf of Oman

CERT-In, India's national cybersecurity agency, operates under mounting pressure. Cyberattacks in the country have doubled from 1.4 million in FY2022 to 2.9 million in FY2026, even as the window between a vulnerability's discovery and its exploitation continues to narrow.  Rather than wait for access to the most advanced AI security tools, some of which face export restrictions, the agency has spent recent months building its own solution. 

CERT-In has developed a new sandbox platform built with open-source AI, designed to identify cybersecurity gaps in public-sector systems. The sandbox functions as an isolated testing environment, allowing teams to safely evaluate software and applications without exposing the broader system to risk.  Officials have framed this as a foundation rather than a substitute. MeitY Secretary S Krishnan described the platform as a step toward building a secure environment for eventual access to international AI models — suggesting the current approach is understood as an interim measure, not a permanent alternative to global tools. 

This effort sits within a broader policy push: encouraging domestic AI development and tightening oversight of AI use in finance and online content. Taken together, these moves suggest a deliberate strategy of capacity-building through incremental, self-reliant steps, rather than a story about capability gaps or resource shortfalls.

A Crisis Measured in Millions

It helps to look at why this matters so much right now. A joint study by the Data Security Council of India and BCG found that recorded cyberattacks in the country roughly doubled in four years, from about 1.4 million in FY22 to 2.9 million in FY26. What's more worrying is how little time defenders now have to react to the average time it takes attackers to exploit a newly found vulnerability dropped from 745 days in FY22 to just 44 days in FY26, largely because attackers are using AI themselves to scout targets and build exploits faster. Banking, financial services, healthcare, telecom and government portals bear the brunt of this, with ransomware-as-a-service groups and state-linked actors increasingly slipping in through vendor portals and supply-chain weak points. 

Turning Existing AI Into a Working Defence

CERT-In's Sandbox in Action

Instead of treating the lack of any one frontier model as a dealbreaker, CERT-In simply built its own closed trial platform  officials have taken to calling it a "war room"  where open-source and other AI models are set loose on software code to find vulnerabilities and shape secure workflows for India's top public sector companies, including in financial services. At a press conference, Meity secretary S. Krishnan pointed out that these substitute models already match roughly 60 to 70 per cent of the performance of the most advanced security-focused systems out there globally. That's a fairly substantial chunk of the capability, and it's coming from tools India can actually access today. The testing has stretched to core digital infrastructure like Aadhaar and government login systems, while some of the country's biggest tech firms are already using currently available AI models to patch widely used enterprise software, banking platforms included. The logic is simple enough: build the muscle now with whatever's on hand, so the enterprise environment is already in better shape by the time more capable tools eventually arrive. 

Investing in Sovereign Capability

Arguably the more important move here is a longer-term one , India's bet on building its own frontier-grade security AI. The Centre has reportedly asked domestic AI developers Sarvam AI and BharatGen to build advanced cybersecurity capabilities of their own, hosted on the government's isolated computer infrastructure and eventually put to work protecting critical infrastructure. There's no public timeline yet for when these indigenous models will be ready, but the intent behind the move isn't hard to read: cut India's reliance on any single foreign provider for defending the systems that underpin banking, identity and public administration, while keeping sensitive testing and deployment on Indian soil. Officials have also signalled a preference for on-premises deployment of high-capability AI tools where the stakes are highest, rather than leaning entirely on overseas cloud infrastructure. It's a choice that points toward building lasting, self-reliant capacity rather than making a one-off purchase. 

A Tightening Regulatory Net

RBI's Model Risk Guardrails

None of this is happening in a vacuum. On 24 June 2026, the Reserve Bank of India released draft guidance on model risk management that, for the first time, brings AI and machine learning systems used by banks, NBFCs and other regulated entities under a single, board-level governance framework. The draft asks institutions to keep a full inventory of every model they use, rank each one by risk, and build in human override and "kill-switch" mechanisms so a malfunctioning AI system can be shut down immediately. It also makes one thing very clear: banks can't shrug off accountability just because the technology came from a vendor. 

MeitY's Deepfake and Synthetic-Content Rules

Around the same time, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified amendments to the IT Rules that formally define "synthetically generated information," require deepfakes and AI-altered media to carry clear, persistent labels and embedded provenance metadata, and cut the takedown window for unlawful synthetic content down to just three hours. Taken together, the RBI and MeitY rules form the regulatory backbone that CERT-In's technical sandbox is meant to plug into giving India a more coordinated response to both the defensive and the deceptive sides of AI.

One Chain of Command

Officials have gone out of their way to stress that all these moving parts aren't creating confusion in India's cybersecurity reporting structure. CERT-In director general Sanjay Bahl has said the National Security Council Secretariat remains the overarching body, with CERT-In as the top cyber reporting and investigations organisation across sectors, and that sectoral regulators like the RBI and SEBI still report into this one structure rather than running their own parallel systems.

Conclusion

Look at CERT-In's sandbox, the push for sovereign AI, and the tightening regulatory net together, and a clearer picture forms. This isn't really a story about a piece of technology India doesn't have. It's a story about capability being built, deliberately and in the open. The country is using the AI tools available right now to close real security gaps, backing homegrown alternatives for the long haul, and pairing both with governance rules that keep banks, platforms and public infrastructure honest. If there's a lesson in all this, it's that real resilience against a fast-moving cyberthreat landscape rarely arrives all at once. It gets built the way most lasting capability does  piece by piece, mostly at home, without waiting for any single outside breakthrough to show up first.

References

1. https://inc42.com/buzz/centre-asks-sarvam-ai-bharatgen-to-develop-mythos-like-cyber-ai-models/
2. https://inc42.com/buzz/centre-asks-sarvam-ai-bharatgen-to-develop-mythos-like-cyber-ai-models/
3. https://www.newkerala.com/news/a/govt-prioritises-access-anthropics-mythos-ai-model-strengthen-475.htm
4. https://blog.qualys.com/product-tech/2026/06/24/cert-in-ai-vulnerability-blueprint-machine-speed-risk-operations
5. https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/mythos-threat-govt-tech-firms-test-their-softwares-for-vulnerabilities-126052700386_1.html
6. https://inc42.com/buzz/centre-asks-sarvam-ai-bharatgen-to-develop-mythos-like-cyber-ai-models/
7. https://www.finextra.com/blogposting/32142/rbis-model-risk-management-guidance-2026--summary
8.  https://www.medianama.com/2026/06/223-rbi-ai-guidelines-2026-banks-kill-switch/
9. https://www.freshfields.com/en/our-thinking/blogs/technology-quotient/india-targets-deepfakes-and-ai-generated-content-key-changes-under-meitys-2026-102mjwn

‍

A video circulating on social media claims to show former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar commenting on England batter Joe Root’s batting feats. In the clip, Tendulkar is allegedly heard saying that if Joe Root continues scoring centuries, even his (Tendulkar’s) record would be broken. The video further claims that Tendulkar says if Root scores another century, he would give up the bat’s grip, after which the clip abruptly ends.

‍

Users sharing the video are claiming that Sachin Tendulkar has taken a dig at Joe Root through this remark.

‍

Cyber Peace Foundation’s research found the claim to be misleading. Our research clearly establishes that the viral video is not authentic but has been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and is being shared online with a false narrative.

‍

CLAIM

‍

On January 5, 2025, several users shared the viral video on Instagram, claiming it shows Sachin Tendulkar making remarks about Joe Root’s century-scoring spree.

(Post link and archive link available.)

‍

• https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTIUsvnCAid/?igsh=MWdvdm13OW9sMzZrbg%3D%3D 
• https://archive.ph/RO2vw 

‍

‍

‍

FACT CHECK

‍

To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a Google Reverse Image Search. This led us to an interview of Sachin Tendulkar published on the official BBC News YouTube channel on November 18, 2013. The visuals from that interview match exactly with those seen in the viral clip.

This establishes that the visuals used in the viral video are old and have been repurposed with manipulated audio to create a misleading narrative.

Further, Joe Root made his Test debut in 2012. At that time, he had not scored multiple Test centuries and was nowhere close to Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of hundreds. This timeline itself makes the viral claim factually incorrect.

(Link to the original BBC interview available.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Rz4pgR9UQ 

‍

‍

Upon closely examining the viral clip, we noticed that Sachin Tendulkar’s voice sounded unnatural and inconsistent. This raised suspicion of audio manipulation.

We then ran the viral video through an AI detection tool, Aurigin AI. According to the results, the audio in the video was found to be 100 percent AI-generated, confirming that Tendulkar never made the statements attributed to him in the clip.

‍

‍

Conclusion

‍

Our research confirms that the viral video claiming Sachin Tendulkar commented on Joe Root’s centuries is fake. The video has been created using AI-generated audio and misleadingly combined with visuals from a 2013 interview. Users are sharing this manipulated clip on social media with a false claim.

‍

Introduction

Charity and donation scams have continued to persist and are amplified in the digital era, where messages spread rapidly through WhatsApp, emails, and social media. These fraudulent schemes involve threat actors impersonating legitimate charities, government appeals, or social causes to solicit funds. Apart from targeting the general public, they also impact entities such as reputable tech firms and national institutions. Victims are tricked into transferring money or sharing personal information, often under the guise of urgent humanitarian efforts or causes.

A recent incident involves a fake WhatsApp message claiming to be from the Indian Ministry of Defence. The message urged users to donate to a fund for “modernising the Indian Army.” The government later confirmed this message was entirely fabricated and part of a larger scam. It emphasised that no such appeal had been issued by the Ministry, and urged citizens to verify such claims through official government portals before responding.

Tech Industry and Donation-Related Scams

Large corporations are also falling prey. According to media reports, an American IT company recently terminated around 700 Indian employees after uncovering a donation-related fraud. At least 200 of them were reportedly involved in a scheme linked to Telugu organisations in the US. The scam echoed a similar situation that had previously affected Apple, where Indian employees were fired after being implicated in donation fraud tied to the Telugu Association of North America (TANA). Investigations revealed that employees had made questionable donations to these groups in exchange for benefits such as visa support or employment favours.

Common People Targeted

While organisational scandals grab headlines, the common man remains equally or even more vulnerable. In a recent incident, a man lost over ₹1 lakh after clicking on a WhatsApp link asking for donations to a charity. Once he engaged with the link, the fraudsters manipulated him into making repeated transfers under various pretexts, ranging from processing fees to refund-related transactions (social engineering). Scammers often employ a similar set of tactics using urgency, emotional appeal, and impersonation of credible platforms to convince and deceive people.

Cautionary Steps

CyberPeace recommends adopting a cautious and informed approach when making charitable donations, especially online. Here are some key safety measures to follow:

1. Verify Before You Donate. Always double-check the legitimacy of donation appeals. Use official government portals or the official charities' websites. Be wary of unfamiliar phone numbers, email addresses, or WhatsApp forwards asking for money.
   
   
2. Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links
   Never click on links or download attachments from unknown or unverified sources. These could be phishing links/ malware designed to steal your data or access your bank accounts.
   
   
3. Be Sceptical of Urgency Scammers bank on creating a false sense of urgency to pressure their victims into donating quickly. One must take the time to evaluate before responding.

4. Use Secure Payment Channels Ensure that one makes donations only through platforms that are secure, trusted, and verified. These include official UPI handles, government-backed portals (like PM CARES or Bharat Kosh), among others.
   
   
5. Report Suspected Fraud In case one receives suspicious messages or falls victim to a scam, they are encouraged to report it to cybercrime authorities via cybercrime.gov.in (1930) or the local police, as prompt reporting can prevent further fraud.
   

Conclusion

Charity should never come at the cost of trust and safety. While donating to a good cause is noble, doing it mindfully is essential in today’s scam-prone environment. Always remember: a little caution today can save a lot tomorrow.

References

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/misleading-message-circulating-on-whatsapp-related-to-donation-for-armys-modernisation-govt/articleshow/120672806.cms?from=mdr
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/american-company-sacks-700-of-these-200-in-donation-scam-related-to-telugu-organisations-similar-to-firing-at-apple/articleshow/120075189.cms
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/apple-fires-some-indians-over-donation-fraud-tana-under-scrutiny/articleshow/117034457.cms
• https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/man-gets-link-for-donation-and-charity-on-whatsapp-loses-over-rs-1-lakh-after-clicking-on-it-2688616-2025-03-04 

‍