In News:

In November 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the India AI Governance Guidelines, marking a significant evolution in India’s approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The guidelines, prepared by a committee chaired by Balaraman Ravindran of IIT Madras, replace the more risk-averse January 2025 draft and advocate a light-touch, innovation-friendly, and adaptive governance model. Importantly, they are independent of the proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, which address labelling of AI-generated content.

Objectives and Structure

The overarching aim is to harness AI for inclusive development and global competitiveness, while managing risks to individuals, society, and national security. The framework is organised into four parts: Key Principles, Key Recommendations, an Action Plan, and Practical Guidelines, enabling coherence from values to implementation.

Key Principles: The Seven Sutras

At the core are seven guiding principles that shape India’s AI philosophy across sectors. These include trust as the foundation of adoption, people-first and human-centric design, and innovation over restraint to avoid stifling growth. The guidelines emphasisefairness and equity, clear accountability, and AI systems that are understandable by design, enabling explainability for users and regulators. Finally, they stress safety, resilience, and sustainability, including environmental responsibility.

Recommendations: Six Pillars of Governance

The guidelines operationalise these principles through six pillars.

• First, infrastructure expansion—data, compute, and digital public infrastructure-supported by platforms such as AI Kosh.
• Second, capacity building through education, skilling, and awareness for citizens, officials, and small enterprises.
• Third, policy and regulation, favouring agile and flexible frameworks that review existing laws and introduce targeted amendments only where necessary.
• Fourth, risk mitigation via India-specific, evidence-based risk assessment frameworks addressing harms such as deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and systemic risks.
• Fifth, accountability, including graded liability based on risk and function, transparency across the AI value chain, and mandatory grievance redressal mechanisms.
• Sixth, institutional mechanisms, with a whole-of-government approach through an AI Governance Group, expert committees, and a strengthened AI Safety Institute.

Action Plan and Practical Guidelines

The action plan outlines short-, medium-, and long-term goals-from setting up institutions and voluntary commitments, to regulatory sandboxes and continuous horizon scanning. Practical guidance urges industry to comply with existing laws, publish transparency reports, and deploy techno-legal safeguards, while regulators are advised to prefer non-burdensome, flexible oversight that supports innovation.

Key Shifts and Global Context

A notable shift is from risk-control to innovation enablement, with no immediate proposal for a standalone AI law. Instead, the government prefers leveraging existing legislation, including data protection norms that require user consent and data transparency. The guidelines align with India’s global engagement on AI governance and are timed with preparations for the Delhi AI Impact Summit (2026), positioning India as a responsible yet growth-oriented AI leader.

Conclusion

Overall, the India AI Governance Guidelines present a balanced, future-ready framework—combining trust, transparency, and accountability with innovation. For India, the approach seeks to unlock AI-driven growth and inclusion while safeguarding democratic values, fundamental rights, and long-term societal interests.