Fact-check: Viral videos claiming Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promoted Quantum AI investment with assured returns are fake and AI-generated

A video purportedly showing India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promoting an investment platform and guaranteeing high returns is going viral on social media. In the video, the minister is seen encouraging people to invest ₹21,000 immediately, claiming assured profits, and holding up her phone displaying an application named Quantum AI. She is also allegedly seen giving a personal guarantee for the scheme.

Another video circulating online shows Congress MP Rahul Gandhi raising this issue in Parliament. In the clip, he is heard saying, “today, January 30, 2026,” while questioning the finance minister for allegedly betraying the country. He is seen accusing Sitharaman of receiving secret income of up to ₹2 million per month through a mobile application and demanding her resignation. The video further shows the finance minister responding that the application is a government project, not a secret, that it has passed testing and is ready for operation. She is also heard claiming that every citizen who deposits ₹21,000 can earn up to ₹2 million.

Here's the screenshot of the claim.

In yet another video, dated January 30, 2026, Sitharaman can be seen promoting the same Quantum AI investment platform, suggesting that investors can earn up to ₹20 lakh per month by investing just ₹21,000. She further claims that people who registered the previous month have already received ₹20–25 lakh. The minister is also seen stating that she personally invested ₹22,000 two months ago and that her balance has now grown to ₹44 lakh.

Here's the screenshot of the claim

 The viral claims are archived here and here.

Fact Check:

The claim is false. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has not endorsed any investment platform. The viral videos are AI-generated and digitally manipulated.

To verify the claim, we conducted a keyword search and found no credible or verified reports indicating that Nirmala Sitharaman or the Government of India has endorsed any private investment platform.

A closer analysis of the viral videos revealed multiple inconsistencies. In the video where the finance minister allegedly promotes Quantum AI, her lip movements do not match the audio.

Further scrutiny of the Lok Sabha video featuring Rahul Gandhi raises additional red flags. In the clip, he refers to “today, January 30, 2026.” While the Lok Sabha Budget Session 2026 began on January 27, 2026, the House was adjourned on January 29 and scheduled to reconvene on February 1, 2026. Moreover, January 30 marks the 78th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and the Prime Minister was seen paying tribute at Rajghat. There was no parliamentary session on that date, confirming that the video is digitally manipulated.

We also observed inconsistencies in Nirmala Sitharaman’s attire across different videos that claim to be from the same date, further indicating digital fabrication.

To assess the possibility of deepfake manipulation, the videos were analysed using AI detection tools such as Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector and Hive Moderation, both of which flagged the content as potential deepfakes.

Additionally, the Press Information Bureau Fact Check unit has clarified that these claims are false. PIB has advised citizens to verify financial claims only through official government portals or authorised regulatory bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India.

The viral videos claiming that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsed an investment platform or guaranteed high returns are entirely fabricated and AI-generated.