AskSila & Red FM team up to create AI digital twins of RJs

NEW DELHI: Red FM is turning up the AI volume.

AskSila has partnered with Red FM to create and deploy AI-powered digital twins of the network’s radio jockeys, allowing listeners to interact with familiar RJ voices around the clock.

The partnership, described by the companies as a first of its kind for Indian radio, will also extend to Red FM’s portfolio of on-ground experiences and live events, where AI-powered interactions could bring the network’s voices beyond conventional broadcasts.

Under a memorandum of understanding, AskSila will have the rights to build and deploy digital twins for Red FM’s RJs across the country. The agreement has an initial term of 36 months and will be automatically renewed following an annual review.

The tie-up follows a pilot project that turned Red FM director and COO Nisha Narayanan into a working digital twin. The companies have positioned the pilot as a test case for deploying the technology at scale.

The partnership brings together AskSila’s AI digital twin and intellectual property protection technology with Red FM’s reach of more than 40 million listeners across 68 cities. The radio network broadcasts in Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu, Malayalam and other regional languages.

“Every RJ on Red FM has spent years building something no algorithm can fake: real trust with real listeners,” said AskSila senior growth leader Tarun Singhal.

Singhal said the technology is intended to scale the trust RJs have built with audiences rather than replace their voices, allowing listeners to interact with AI versions of familiar personalities beyond regular broadcast hours.

For Red FM, the partnership is also closely tied to its focus on local content and regional audiences. Red FM director and COO Nisha Narayanan said the network sees AI as a way to extend its storytelling while preserving the human connection at the heart of radio.

Narayanan said Red FM’s “Nat Local” philosophy is based on telling India’s stories through local languages, emotions and cultural nuances. She added that the partnership would extend the trust and local connect its RJs have built over the years while keeping human interaction central.

The companies have structured the deal around a “4Cs” framework. AskSila brings the capability through its AI digital twin technology and IP protection, while Red FM contributes its listener and advertiser relationships and nationwide network. The fourth C, competition, represents the first-mover advantage the companies say Red FM gains as the first Indian radio network to bring AI-powered digital twins to scale.

The deal comes as broadcasters and digital platforms increasingly experiment with AI-generated and AI-assisted content. It also puts the spotlight on wider industry questions around consent, compensation and control when AI replicates a public figure’s voice or likeness.

For radio, the partnership could make the familiar RJ voice available long after the studio lights go off. The bigger test will be whether listeners treat these digital twins as an extension of the people they trust, rather than simply another AI voice.