India Launches Vastav AI | India’s First Deepfake Detection System to Combat Misinformation with 99% Accuracy

In a significant technological milestone, India has officially launched Vastav AI, a state-of-the-art deepfake detection system developed by Zero Defend Security. With the rapid rise in synthetic media and misinformation, this system addresses an urgent national and global challenge—ensuring the authenticity of digital content in a world where deepfakes are increasingly convincing and widespread.

The launch took place during the CIDECODE Hackathon, an event organized by CID Karnataka under PES University in Bangalore. Vastav AI was recognized for its practical innovation, capable of identifying manipulated videos, images, and audio files with exceptional accuracy. With a detection confidence level exceeding 99 percent, this platform positions India at the forefront of AI-driven digital forensics.

What is Vastav AI?

Vastav AI is an indigenous deepfake detection system designed to identify and expose manipulated digital content. The word "Vastav" is derived from Hindi, meaning "reality," reflecting the platform’s mission to unveil the truth behind AI-generated media.

This system was developed by the Indian cybersecurity firm Zero Defend Security, under the leadership of co-founder Santhosh Kumar. The project is part of a larger initiative to enhance media integrity and combat digital fraud in India and beyond.

Why Deepfake Detection Matters

Deepfakes pose a growing threat to national security, personal privacy, and information integrity. They are often used to create misleading videos, fake political statements, and digitally altered evidence. As these technologies become more accessible and convincing, the need for reliable detection systems becomes critical.

Vastav AI meets this demand by providing a comprehensive platform capable of verifying digital media in real time. Its applications span across law enforcement, news verification, cybercrime investigation, and enterprise-level brand protection.

Key Features of Vastav AI

Advanced Deepfake Detection Engine

At the heart of Vastav AI is a proprietary detection engine named EKOAHAMDUTIVNASTI, developed in-house by the Zero Defend team. This engine uses advanced neural network models, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to analyze media files at the pixel level. It detects signs of manipulation that are invisible to the human eye and traditional editing tools.

The system is capable of analyzing image, video, and audio files with an accuracy level of 99.7 percent based on internal benchmarks.

AI-Powered Forensic Analysis Pipeline

Vastav AI integrates multiple forensic tools in its detection process, including:

• Error Level Analysis (ELA): Identifies inconsistencies in compression patterns to detect edited regions.

• JPEG Artifact Detection: Detects unnatural compression indicators from image editing.

• Noise Pattern Detection: Examines the frequency domain to reveal inconsistencies in pixel-level noise.

• GAN Artifact Detection: Identifies synthetic content generated by adversarial neural networks, such as StyleGAN, DALL·E, and others.

• Entropy Scoring: Measures pixel distribution entropy to detect irregularities commonly present in deepfakes.

These tools work in combination to validate media authenticity with high precision.

Metadata and Signature Extraction

The system extracts embedded metadata such as EXIF data, camera details, software used for creation, and timestamps. It also generates and verifies digital file signatures using SHA-256 and other hashing algorithms to track media integrity.

This process helps investigators trace the source of content and verify whether files have been altered.

Real-Time Confidence Scoring and Heatmap Visualization

Every media file processed by Vastav AI is assigned a confidence score indicating the likelihood of authenticity. Additionally, the platform provides heatmaps that visually highlight regions where potential manipulation has occurred. This visual analysis is especially useful for investigators and forensic analysts.

Detailed Technical Reports

After each analysis, Vastav AI automatically generates a detailed technical report. These reports include:

• Case ID and file metadata

• Forensic analysis results

• Manipulation probability score

• Entropy analysis and noise spectrum breakdown

• Digital signature verification

These reports are available in more than ten formats, allowing easy integration into official documentation, legal proceedings, and enterprise audit systems.

Cloud-Based Secure Access

Vastav AI is deployed on a secure cloud infrastructure. Users can access the system remotely, with access currently limited to law enforcement and government agencies. A commercial subscription model is planned for enterprises, researchers, and media organizations in the near future.

Real-World Applications of Vastav AI

Vastav AI has a wide range of use cases, including:

• Law Enforcement: Verifying digital evidence in criminal investigations.

• Media Verification: Fact-checking viral images and videos before publication.

• Enterprise Security: Detecting counterfeit brand content and preventing impersonation attacks.

• Cybercrime Units: Tracing the origin of manipulated content used in scams and phishing campaigns.

• Educational Institutions: Teaching students about AI ethics, digital integrity, and forensics.

Competitive Advantage and Accuracy

Unlike generic detection tools, Vastav AI is built for investigative-level scrutiny. The detection engine is trained on a robust dataset of real and synthetic media, ensuring its high performance across a wide variety of formats and sources. The platform’s modular architecture allows integration with third-party investigation tools, enhancing its scalability and adaptability for diverse user needs.

With more than 99 percent accuracy in test cases, the system outperforms most open-source and commercial detection platforms currently available.

The Team Behind Vastav AI

Vastav AI was created by Zero Defend Security, an Indian cybersecurity company focused on building solutions for emerging threats in the digital age. The platform is a result of collaboration between AI researchers, forensic scientists, and security professionals. Under the leadership of co-founder Santhosh Kumar, the company continues to develop new tools aimed at protecting individuals, governments, and institutions from digital manipulation.

Conclusion

Vastav AI represents a major technological breakthrough for India in the field of digital forensics and AI-driven security. As misinformation and deepfake threats continue to escalate, tools like Vastav AI are essential for safeguarding truth and accountability in the digital world.

By combining advanced machine learning, digital forensics, and metadata analysis, Vastav AI delivers unmatched accuracy and utility. It is more than just a detection tool — it is a step forward in India's digital sovereignty and global cybersecurity leadership.

FAQs:

What is Vastav AI?

Vastav AI is India's first deepfake detection system, developed by Zero Defend Security to identify manipulated videos, images, and audio with high accuracy.

Who developed Vastav AI?

It was developed by Zero Defend Security, co-founded by cybersecurity expert Santhosh Kumar.

What is the accuracy rate of Vastav AI?

Vastav AI reports an accuracy of over 99% in detecting deepfakes.

Where was Vastav AI launched?

It was announced at the CIDECODE Hackathon organized by PES University and CID Karnataka.

What does the name 'Vastav' mean?

"Vastav" is a Hindi word meaning "reality", highlighting the tool’s goal to reveal truth in digital media.

What kind of media can Vastav AI detect?

It can analyze videos, images, and audio for signs of manipulation or AI generation.

Is Vastav AI a real-time tool?

Yes, Vastav AI works in real-time through a cloud-based platform.

Who can use Vastav AI?

Currently, it is available to law enforcement and government agencies, with enterprise access planned through subscription.

What is EKOAHAMDUTIVNASTI?

It is the proprietary detection engine used by Vastav AI, built for high-precision analysis.

What AI techniques does Vastav AI use?

It uses neural networks, GAN artifact detection, error level analysis, and entropy-based scoring.

Can Vastav AI detect deepfake audio files?

Yes, it analyzes audio files for synthetically generated voice manipulation.

What is a confidence score in Vastav AI?

It indicates the probability of the file being manipulated, shown as a percentage.

Does Vastav AI generate reports?

Yes, it automatically creates technical reports in over ten downloadable formats.

Can Vastav AI highlight manipulated regions?

Yes, it uses heatmaps to visually mark suspicious areas in the media.

Is the platform cloud-based?

Yes, Vastav AI is hosted on a secure cloud for remote access and scalability.

Does it check metadata?

Yes, it extracts and analyzes metadata such as EXIF data, timestamps, and editing software.

What forensic tools are integrated in Vastav AI?

It includes JPEG artifact detection, noise pattern analysis, and digital signature verification.

How is Vastav AI different from other detection tools?

It is specifically built for professional forensic use with modular, scalable architecture and high detection precision.

Can media organizations use Vastav AI?

They will be able to once the enterprise subscription model is released.

Is the tool available for free?

It is free for law enforcement and government bodies currently.

Does it work on mobile devices?

As a cloud-based system, it can be accessed through any modern browser.

What hashing algorithms are used for file signatures?

Vastav AI uses SHA-256 and similar secure algorithms to track media changes.

How does Vastav AI help in legal cases?

Its forensic reports can be used as supporting evidence in investigations and digital crime litigation.

Is there any public demo of the tool?

The tool was demonstrated at the CIDECODE Hackathon, and more showcases are expected soon.

Can Vastav AI detect AI-generated images like from DALL·E or Midjourney?

Yes, its GAN artifact detection is trained to recognize outputs from popular generation models.

Is this the first tool of its kind in India?

Yes, Vastav AI is the first deepfake detection platform developed and launched in India.

What kind of reports does it generate?

It provides manipulation scores, heatmap visualizations, metadata logs, and technical summaries.

Can Vastav AI be integrated into other forensic systems?

Yes, its modular architecture allows for integration into third-party investigative tools.

How is it secured?

It uses end-to-end encryption, access control, and secure cloud architecture to protect sensitive data.

Will the platform expand to public users?

Plans are underway to open access for media and private cybersecurity firms via paid models.