India is positioning itself at the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, emphasizing transparency, public welfare, and international governance. As the Lead Chair of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), India hosted the Global India AI Summit in Delhi in July 2024, focusing on key pillars such as computing capacity, data sets, application development, startup financing, and the promotion of safe and trustworthy AI.
Looking ahead, India is set to host the AI Impact Summit in Delhi in February 2026, with the theme "Harnessing AI to Address Real-World Challenges." The summit aims to explore AI's potential in sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, climate change, and governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been instrumental in promoting AI's transformative role, further solidifying India's position on the global digital map.
In response to the growing concerns over the misuse of AI technologies, the Indian government has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The amendments mandate that companies offering AI generation tools embed permanent visible watermarks or metadata identifiers on all synthetic content, including images, videos, and audio. This measure aims to combat the spread of misinformation and ensure the authenticity of digital content.
India's commitment to ethical AI development is further demonstrated through its AI Governance Framework for 2025–26, developed by the National Cyber and AI Center (NCAIC). The framework adopts a risk-based approach tailored to India's unique socio-technical landscape, emphasizing human-centricity, inclusion, and risk proportionality. It introduces a structured taxonomy for AI risks, lifecycle controls, and an assurance system aligned with global standards like ISO 42001 and NIST AI RMF.
India's proactive stance in AI governance and development underscores its ambition to lead in the global AI landscape, ensuring that technological advancements align with ethical standards and contribute to societal well-being.
