For the longest time, the Indian media industry's relationship with AI has been something like a monsoon romance full of promise, plenty of heat, but ultimately driven by whoever had the budget to experiment. Platforms did it. Agencies did it. Studios dipped their toes in and called it transformation. The rest of the industry watched, took notes and hoped someone would eventually explain what Vertex AI actually meant for their deadlines. That someone, it turns out, is the government. On March 23, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting quietly did something that deserves far more attention than it received: it partnered with Google to launch a structured, two-phase AI skilling programme targeting 15,000 professionals in the creative and media sectors animators, VFX artists, journalists, content creators completely free of charge, routed through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies in New Delhi. "Help creators build capabilities and achieve their goals in t

Image of the Day Bharat Mandapam seen under dark clouds on Thursday evening. Picture by Raj K Raj - Hindustan Times   1962 war route transformed into tourist halt in North-East Coffee steams and tea steeps wh-ere convoys once rolled. On a 1962 war relic that carried soldiers into uncertainty on India’s far edge in the North-East, visitors now pause and look out. A bridge between the past and the present. Perched over Nyamjang Chu river in remote Zemithang village, a decommissioned Bailey bridge has been upcycled into Border Brew Cafe — a striking blend of military history and grassroots enterprise barely 20km from the Chinese border in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. History runs deeper here. Zemithang marked the entry point for the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 as he fled Tibet, a prelude to tensions that spiralled into war three years later, reports Rajib Dutta and Joken Ete for The Times of India.  J&K’s first postwoman clocks 30 years on foot Ulfat Bano col

As AI tools rapidly enter Indian newsrooms, editorial cartoonists and illustrators are pushing back against the idea that machines can replace human creativity. While AI may offer speed and cost advantages, many believe it falls short in delivering the originality and depth that define their craft. Sudheernadh, Chairman of the Kerala Cartoon Academy, admits he is not deeply familiar with the technology but has observed its growing use. “There are mainstream newspapers publishing illustrations using AI and seeking assistance from cartoonists. However, this trend will not last long, not beyond a year. Today, a reader can easily identify an AI-generated work versus an artist-created one,” he says. He argues that while AI may appear financially viable for media organisations due to its ability to handle multiple tasks, it lacks the emotional and intellectual depth required in editorial cartooning. “AI can do illustrations, but the depth and emotions needed in a cartoon are someth

Nintendo-focused gaming website Vooks is doing more traffic than ever, but Founder and Managing Editor Daniel Vuckovic was left in the unfortunate position of that increasing popularity only serving to drive the site into the red. That led Vuckovic to throw out Vook’s old site design, and introduce a new, lighter, streamlined template, which also works better for the expanding cohort of mobile users. “We've crept slowly higher up our hosting tiers as traffic has ballooned, especially with the Switch 2 launch last year,” Vooks founder Daniel Vuckovic told Influencing.  “Our site gets great traffic, but it shouldn't be this heavy on the server. So I eventually had to decide to throw everything out and start again.” Vooks first sported the redesign recently which was three months in the making. “I did a mock-up of that in Figma and thought, I'll get to it eventually. But with the collapse in ad revenue and affiliate income, meani

Influencing last night had the pleasure of attending Sling & Stone's House Party event at its HQ in Surry Hills.  Please see some of the photos from the evening, and thank you to Sling & Stone for a great night.     

Top stories across today's newspaper front pages for Friday, 27th March, 2026.   Fuel crisis spreads nationwide as limits and political pressure mount Service stations are imposing purchase limits and governments are scrambling to manage shortages and panic buying, with the Iran conflict and disrupted supply chains driving sharp price rises. The story has major economic and political stakes, forcing Labor into a more transparent crisis posture while states push measures ranging from conservation plans to potential price caps. Covered by: The Australian, Australian Financial Review, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph, The West Australian, Courier Mail, The Mercury. Landmark ruling puts Big Tech on the hook for child safety failures A major legal decision and US verdicts against Meta/Google are intensifying pressure on Canberra to enforce Australia’s under-16 social media ban and consider fines for tech giants, amid claims kids can still access &ld

Journalist Vedic Dwivedi was allegedly manhandled while reporting at a petrol pump in Basti on March 24, sparking outrage online. Dwivedi was on camera at the site when a petrol pump operator and an associate allegedly confronted and assaulted him. A video of the incident, shared by journalist Priya Singh on X, has drawn widespread criticism from media professionals and the public. Dwivedi later said on X that he has filed a complaint with Superintendent of Police Yashveer Singh, who assured appropriate action. A written complaint has also been submitted at the Nagar Police Station against the accused.