Disinformation is becoming a bigger problem in India as the country's digital landscape continues to expand quickly

India's Threat of Disinformation

Disinformation, or the willful spread of inaccurate or misleading information, poses a serious risk to India's sociopolitical and economic stability. India is especially vulnerable to the effects of misinformation because of its diverse linguistic environment and population of over 1.4 billion people. According to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2025 Global Risks Report, misinformation and disinformation pose the greatest short-term threats to the world. India is particularly vulnerable to manipulated narratives, voter manipulation, and economic instability because it has more than 900 million Internet users. According to WEF, a "global risk" is an occurrence that has the potential to have a detrimental effect on a sizable portion of the population, the world's GDP, and natural resources.

Disinformation-Promoting Factors

Penetration of Technology: Information is now more widely available thanks to the rapid rise in smartphone usage and the low cost of internet access, but it has also made it easier for misleading information to proliferate. According to MeitY's Digital India Report (2023), 64% of the spread of false information occurs on WhatsApp, with Facebook coming in second at 18% and Twitter third at 12%. Platforms like WhatsApp are encrypted, which makes it more difficult to track down the source of misleading information.

Algorithmic Biases & AI-Generated Content: The rise of false information produced by AI makes it more difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. Furthermore, false narratives are often amplified by algorithmic biases.

Declining Trust in Traditional Media: People are becoming more reliant on social media for news updates as a result of a discernible drop in public trust in traditional media. Unverified information is now widely disseminated as a result of this change.

Political Polarization: To influence elections and change public opinion, political leaders and non-state actors commonly use disinformation to take advantage of digital platforms. Political disinformation makes up 46% of the total, followed by general issues (33.6%) and religious content (16.8%), according to research from the Indian School of Business and the CyberPeace Foundation.

Government Initiatives to Fight Misinformation

Rules for Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code), 2021: Stricter rules for digital news outlets and social media sites to prevent the spread of misleading information.

The purpose of the Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact-Check Unit is to dispel false information about government programs and policies by offering explanations via social media and official channels.

NCCC, or the National Cyber Coordination Center: created to monitor online dangers, such as disinformation campaigns that endanger national security.

The Deepfake Analysis Unit and the Shakti-India Election Fact-Checking Collective are two initiatives that have helped combat misinformation during election processes.

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Financial Literacy Campaign is essential for strengthening social resilience and encouraging critical thinking.

The Samvad Initiative is a collaboration between the public and private sectors that aims to raise digital literacy and teach people how to spot false information.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) implemented an AI-powered monitoring system in 2024 to detect and get rid of deepfake content and phony political ads.

In conclusion

A comprehensive approach involving government regulation, media literacy programs, technological advancements, and cooperation amongst stakeholders is required to address the problem of disinformation in India. Upholding the authenticity and integrity of information must be a primary national priority as India advances in its digital transformation.