India Unveils Hands-Off AI Governance Guidelines

Advocating a light-touch approach to artificial intelligence oversight, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Wednesday (November 5) released the India AI Governance Guidelines 2025, marking a significant shift from earlier drafts that leaned towards stricter regulation.

The fresh framework, led by Balaraman Ravindran, Head of Data Science and AI at IIT Madras, replaces the previous consultation paper steered by Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay K. Sood. This new document signals the government’s intention to encourage innovation with essential guardrails rather than impose early restrictions.

While the guidelines are independent of the draft IT Rules amendment that proposes labelling AI-generated content on social media, both initiatives highlight India’s growing focus on managing the technology’s rapid expansion responsibly.

At the core of the new guidelines are seven principles: trust, people-centricity, responsible innovation, equity, accountability, understandability, and safety with sustainability. Together, these serve as the foundation for India’s “AI for Good” vision—aimed at supporting growth without stifling creativity.

Unlike earlier frameworks inspired by NITI Aayog and OECD recommendations, the new report scales back on risk-heavy language, favouring a flexible governance model. It recognises AI’s potential to drive inclusion through India’s digital public infrastructure, such as Aadhaar, and proposes steps to build national AI capacity through skilling and infrastructure expansion.

The document also lists six key recommendations, including setting up governance institutions, developing India-specific risk frameworks, ensuring transparency in the AI value chain, and integrating cybersecurity systems with AI oversight mechanisms.

Importantly, officials clarified that there are no immediate plans for a dedicated AI law. Instead, the government intends to adapt existing frameworks as technologies and risks evolve.

The release of the guidelines comes ahead of the Delhi AI Impact Summit 2026, positioning India as a proactive yet pragmatic voice in global AI governance—balancing innovation, accountability, and public trust without rushing into regulation.