Digital
How an AI personality became one of India’s fastest-growing influencers
A web series star, podcaster, and 376k Instagram followers, Naina Avtr is India’s first AI superstar
MUMBAI: Move over humans, India’s first AI superstar is taking centre stage. Meet Naina Avtr, a 22-year-old virtual influencer from Jhansi who has captured the imagination of millions. Since her debut in late 2022, Naina has become more than just a CGI creation – she is a bona fide digital celebrity with over 3.76 lakh Instagram followers.
Naina’s claim to fame is packed with firsts. She made her acting debut in October 2025 in the micro-drama series Truth & Lies on Instagram, marking the first time an AI character led a drama alongside human actors. She also hosts The nAIna Show, India’s first AI-driven podcast, where she has chatted with celebrities like Sobhita Dhulipala, Richa Chadha, Kritika Kamra, Saiyami Kher, Esha Deol, Hansika Motwani, and Nargis Fakhri.
The virtual diva has also become a style icon and brand ambassador, collaborating with big names like Nykaa, Puma, and Pepsi. Her Instagram feed, packed with dance routines, outfit reels, fitness tips, and lifestyle snapshots, regularly sparks debate among fans over whether she is real or robot.
Behind the magic is Avtr Meta Labs, led by CEO Abhishek Razdan. Naina comes to life using a blend of CGI, generative AI, and hybrid motion capture, where a human double’s movements are digitally swapped with Naina’s face. Her AI-powered voice can speak in 120 languages, making her a truly global digital star.
The AI icon has not gone unnoticed, winning awards such as the NDTV WhosThat360 AI Creator Award, the Midday Showbiz AI Influencer Award, and the International Iconic AI Influencer title in 2024.
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just scrolling for entertainment, Naina Avtr proves that the line between virtual and reality is blurring, and she is leading the parade.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
