MAM
Vivo partners Vh1 for eight international award shows
MUMBAI: Vh1 India once again raises the bar by partnering with leading global smartphone brand Vivo Electronic Corp, for eight of their international awards.
The association will have Vivo on board as presenting sponsor for MTV Movie & TV Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Video Music Awards, Europe Music Awards, American Music Awards and Brit Awards and powered-by sponsor for Golden Globe Awards and Grammy Awards. This association starts with the first of the eight International Awards – MTV Movie and TV Awards.
Touted to be one of Hollywood’s Wildest Nights, the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards recently broke the internet with its bold step towards breaking gender barriers by having gender neutral nominations categories – a move that was appreciated across the world. The awards, which promise to be the biggest party of the year will be aired exclusively on Vh1, one hour post the live show from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for the viewing pleasure of the Indian audience on 8 May, 2017 at 6:30am with a prime time repeat on the same day at 9 PM only on Vh1.
Vh1 has launched a robust, 360-degree promotional plan for the upcoming awards that connects with audiences across all platforms. The channel has tied up with over 450 on-ground partners, engaging with consumers across multiple outlets of bars, spas, gyms, cafes and more, thereby innovatively reaching out to audiences across 35 cities via customised fitness workshops, blogger makeovers, award-ready grooming tutorials and the largest on-ground linked digital contest across all the above partnerships.
Amongst the on-ground partnerships, Vh1 will also be hosting Vivo Award Nights and Vivo Award Trivia Nights at 40 hotspots across 15 cities. The partnership also comprises a strong college connect program, where the MTV Movie and TV Awards would be promoted across 200 colleges in 19 cities through cool contests, Vivo Morning Alarm Parties, Vivo India Award Frenzy- Snapchat Relay, Award screenings at popular youth hangouts. Fun activities like Vivo perfect selfie contests will also be done across multiple college festivals, along with the Vivo red carpet walk. Going a step further, a few lucky fans will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as Vivo & Vh1 will make it possible for them to attend the international award ceremonies live, at bucket-list destinations like Los Angeles and Las Vegas!
Vivo India CMO Vivek Zhang said, “We constantly strive to come up with delightful associations to strike a chord with our target audience, that is youth. Vh1 is one of the most popular music channels. Vh1 is also taking special initiative to promote the awards on a wide scale including on-ground activation.”
Viacom18 head – English and youth entertainment Ferzad Palia said, “We at Vh1 are known for providing creative brand solutions to our partners to drive synergies between the brand and the property they’re associating with.”
The partnership would range across the illustrious list of awards airing on the channel, such as MTV Movie and TV Awards, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Movie & TV Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Video Music Awards, Europe Music Awards, American Music Awards and Brit Awards, besides Golden Globes and Grammys. The partnership between Vivo and Vh1 reiterates the channel’s position as India’s go-to destination for International Music, entertainment and pop culture.
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MAM
Deepfakes target women in 93 per cent of cases, report finds
Pi-labs study shows 900 per cent rise in female-focused synthetic media; India sees 60 per cent jump in cybercrime complaints.
MUMBAI: Deepfakes aren’t just fooling cameras, they’re hitting women hardest, turning pixels into a new kind of weapon. A new report from creator intelligence platform Pi-labs has revealed that nearly 93 per cent of deepfake victims are women, with deepfake content targeting females surging 900% in recent years. The findings paint synthetic media as a fast-escalating digital threat with a stark gendered impact.
In India, cybercrime complaints involving women rose from about 50,000 in 2024 to nearly 80,000 by 2026, an increase of roughly 60 per cent in just two years. Almost 98 per cent of deepfake pornography is aimed at women, often powered by face-swapping apps and bot networks that disproportionately target females, including school-age girls. Victims typically fall in the 18–30 age group, with Bengaluru reporting a growing share of cases.
Globally, 62 per cent of deepfake abuse cases involving women go unreported due to stigma, in India, over one-third of women facing online harassment take no action, and many reduce their digital presence after abuse. Close to 33 per cent of women remain unaware of protective laws.
City-level trends show Bengaluru leading with nearly 30 per cent of complaints, followed by Hyderabad (14 per cent), Mumbai (13 per cent), Chennai and Kolkata (5 per cent each), and Delhi (3 per cent).
Pi-labs, CEO and founder Anukush Tiwari said, “AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time, but like every powerful tool, it reflects the intent of those who use it. We are witnessing a growing trust deficit in digital spaces, where identity can be manipulated within minutes and reputations can be damaged overnight.”
Image morphing and deepfake videos remain the most common forms of misuse. The report also notes a new trend: fully AI-generated female personas (not based on real individuals) gaining high engagement on social platforms, raising questions about digital credibility.
Detection remains challenging due to widespread generative tools and rogue creators. Industry estimates suggest over 5,000 face-swap tools and more than 1,000 voice-cloning applications are accessible online.
pi-labs offers pi-authentify, an AI-driven detection system that scans media for generative markers and provides authenticity scores, as well as Namokavach, a verification portal delivering confidential assessments within two working days. The Payal gaming case was resolved using pi-authentify’s forensic analysis.
The report urges minimising digital footprints and adopting detection tools to limit replication risks. It frames the gendered impact of synthetic media as an urgent digital safety issue requiring coordinated action from individuals, platforms and technology providers.
In a world where faces can be borrowed in seconds, the real crime isn’t just creation, it’s the silence that follows, and women are paying the heaviest price.
