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BharatGen unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered news anchor named 'Sutra' at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, highlighting the growing role of indigenous AI systems in transforming news delivery and public communication.
The AI anchor was showcased during the summit organised with the support of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Developed as a multimodal AI system, Sutra is capable of processing complex and real-time discussions and converting them into clear, structured news narratives. BharatGen is India's first government-funded, sovereign, Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) initiative, designed to create AI tailored for Indian languages and cultural contexts. The AI-driven anchor has been developed by the India Today Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and BharatGen as part of efforts to integrate advanced artificial intelligence into newsroom operations. According to the developers, the system demonstrated its capabilities at the summit by synthesising key insights from high-level policy discussions and presenting them in an accessible format, aimed at helping wider audiences better understand technical and policy-related developments. BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal said, "AI in media cannot be shallow automation. It must understand nuance. By developing culturally aware and home-grown AI capabilities, we are ensuring that Indian journalism remains inclusive, contextual and technologically empowered." The unveiling comes at a time when news organisations globally are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to assist with content generation, analysis and dissemination. Experts at the summit noted that while AI can enhance efficiency and accessibility, maintaining transparency, editorial oversight, and accountability remains critical. "Our goal is clarity," said Nilanjan Das, Chief AI Officer, India Today Group. "AI must enhance journalism, not dilute it. Through our partnership with BharatGen, we are building systems that are rooted in India's linguistic diversity and aligned with our editorial standards. This is about creating sovereign, responsible AI for news." The India AI Impact Summit brought together policymakers, technology leaders and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly in sectors such as media, governance and public communication. Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief of the India Today Group, Kallie Purie, emphasised the need for transparency and fairness in AI's interaction with journalism. She said, "AI must operate with transparency, attribution and accountability. Verified journalism cannot be treated the same as unverified content, and there must be fairness in how credible news is used and valued." (ANI)
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