MeitY releases India AI governance guidelines to build safe innovation ecosystem

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released a set of governance guidelines to help build a safe artificial intelligence (AI) innovation ecosystem in the country.

The ‘India AI Governance Guidelines’ calls for the establishment of key governance institutions, development of India-specific risk frameworks, adoption of voluntary commitments, and several other measures to mitigate the risks associated with harnessing AI for the common good, including use of AI in revolutionizing diagnostics in rural healthcare, providing personalized education in local languages, and enhancing climate resilience of Indian farmers.

One of the key recommendations is to enable innovation and adoption of AI by expanding access to foundational resources such as data and compute, attracting investments, and leveraging the power of digital public infrastructure for scale, impact and inclusion.

Regarding policy and regulation, the guideline calls for adopting balanced, agile, and flexible frameworks that support innovation while mitigating AI risks. Review current laws, identify regulatory gaps in relation to AI systems, and address them with targeted amendments, it says.

On risk mitigation, the guideline recommends an India-specific risk assessment framework that reflects real-world evidence of harm. It wants to encourage compliance through voluntary measures supported by techno-legal solutions, as appropriate, with additional obligations for risk mitigation in specific contexts, like in the case of sensitive applications or to protect vulnerable groups

The guideline suggests legal amendments, the development of clear liability regimes, expanding access to infrastructure and AI safety tools, and the launch of awareness programmes. “Recognising both the immense promise and the inherent risks, ranging from the spread of deepfakes, misinformation and algorithmic biases to threats against national security, the India AI Governance Guidelines provide a framework that balances AI innovation with accountability, and progress with safety. It represents a strategic, coordinated, and consensus-driven approach to AI governance,” Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, said.

MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said the India AI Governance Guidelines lay the foundation for Safe & Trusted AI through an agile, flexible policy architecture, with technical support from the AI Safety Institute (AISI), established under the India AI Mission. The AISI has the mandate to provide the critical technical expertise needed to conduct research, develop draft standards, perform safety testing and ensure governance is resilient, scientifically informed, and capable of addressing risks as they emerge.

“This is a governance guideline and not a regulatory guideline alone. The Governance Guidelines are as much about enabling AI adoption and making it truly impactful for the Nation as they are about avoiding the risks and misuse of AI. The AI governance framework rests on six key pillars: Enabling infrastructure; Capacity building; Policy and Regulation; Risk mitigation; Accountability; and Development of institutions to support the future ecosystem,” Prof B Ravindran, Chair of the committee that drafted the AI Governance Guidelines and Head, WSAI, IIT Madras, said.

MeitY had constituted a drafting committee in July to develop the AI governance framework that helps India harness the transformative potential of AI for inclusive development and global competitiveness, while addressing the risks it may pose to individuals and society. Its mandate was to draw on available literature, review existing laws, study global developments, and develop suitable guidelines for AI governance in India. The governance framework was readied after extensive research, deliberations, and a review of public feedback.