India Sets Global Benchmark with New AI Governance Guidelines

MeitY Unveils India AI Governance Guidelines under IndiaAI Mission to Ensure Safe, Inclusive, and Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence across Sectors

New Delhi, November 5, 2025 — The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), under the IndiaAI Mission, has unveiled the India AI Governance Guidelines, marking a major milestone in the country’s journey toward safe, inclusive, and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across sectors.

Unveiled by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the framework lays the foundation for a human-centric, transparent, and accountable AI ecosystem designed to promote innovation while safeguarding citizens and communities from potential harms.

A Framework Built on Responsibility and Innovation

At the core of the new framework lies the principle of “Do No Harm”, a cornerstone of India’s AI philosophy. Prof. Sood emphasized the importance of fostering innovation sandboxes and risk mitigation mechanisms within a flexible, adaptive regulatory environment.

“We focus on creating sandboxes for innovation and on ensuring risk mitigation within a flexible, adaptive system. The IndiaAI Mission will enable this ecosystem and inspire many nations, especially across the Global South,” Prof. Sood said.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, noted that India’s approach prioritizes human-centric development.

“At the heart of it all is human centricity, ensuring AI serves humanity and benefits people’s lives while addressing potential harms,” he stated.

Four Key Components of the India AI Governance Framework

The guidelines propose a robust governance model designed to balance innovation and safety, built around four main components:

1. Seven Guiding Principles (Sutras) for ethical and responsible AI development.
2. Six Pillars of AI Governance with actionable recommendations.
3. An Action Plan mapped to short, medium, and long-term timelines.
4. Practical Implementation Guidelines for industry, developers, and regulators to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair deployment.

The committee behind the framework was chaired by Prof. Balaraman Ravindran of IIT Madras and included leading experts from government, academia, and industry, such as Ms. Debjani Ghosh (NASSCOM/NITI Aayog), Dr. Kalika Bali (Microsoft Research India), and Mr. Rahul Matthan (Trilegal).

India’s Leadership in Global AI Governance

The unveiling of the India AI Governance Guidelines comes ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will be held in New Delhi in February 2026. The summit aims to convene global leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss AI’s transformative role in advancing People, Planet, and Progress.

Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, emphasized the inclusive and consultative process behind the guidelines.

“The inputs received are a clear sign of strong engagement across sectors. The government remains focused on ensuring that AI is accessible, affordable, and inclusive, while promoting a safe, trustworthy, and responsible ecosystem that fuels innovation,” he said.

Recognizing AI Innovation for National Development

During the event, MeitY also announced the winners of the IndiaAI Hackathon for Mineral Targeting, held in collaboration with the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The initiative showcased how AI and machine learning can support critical mineral mapping, data-driven exploration, and semi-supervised resource discovery — key to India’s sustainable growth and resource efficiency.

A Step Toward a Responsible AI Future

The India AI Governance Guidelines represent one of the most comprehensive national frameworks on AI governance in the Global South. By blending innovation enablement with ethical guardrails, India positions itself as a global leader in shaping responsible and inclusive AI for the future.

The full report and framework are available at indiaai.gov.in.

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