Excerpt: Inside India’s AI deepfake industry and how it’s exploiting identity of women - MediaNama

A three-month investigation by Decode and Tattle has exposed a commercial supply chain facilitating the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) in India. The report highlights the case of an unnamed woman from Assam whose identity was exploited by her ex-partner, Pratim Bora, to create a viral, AI-generated persona known as 'Babydoll Archi.'

What happened

Pratim Bora, a 30-year-old mechanical engineer, utilized artificial intelligence to superimpose the face of his former college partner onto bodies of other women. He operated this persona on Instagram and Telegram for five years, building a following of 1.4 million users who believed the character was a real sex worker based in Delhi. Bora monetized the fake identity by selling access to explicit content through subscription-based channels. During the deception, the fake persona received significant media attention, including profiles in national outlets, while the real woman remained unaware of the exploitation. Her identity was eventually indexed on various pornographic websites, causing her to retreat from public life. Law enforcement arrested Bora in July 2025 following the investigation. The case underscores a broader, systemic issue where AI tools, Chinese open-source models, and American distribution platforms allow individuals to commodify non-consensual imagery. The investigation further noted that Indian government agencies, including the I4C and NCRB, reported having no centralized data or operational records regarding complaints against AI deepfakes, highlighting significant gaps in platform regulation and law enforcement response.