The Indian government is preparing to begin stakeholder consultations on a dedicated legal framework for artificial intelligence, signaling a major shift in the country's approach to AI governance. Speaking at the CII Cybersecurity Summit, Information Technology Secretary S. Krishnan said the time is "getting right" for India to develop separate AI legislation as the technology becomes more powerful and its risks more complex.
Until now, India has relied on the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to address AI-related issues such as deepfakes and synthetic content. Krishnan noted that while these existing laws have been sufficient so far, rapidly advancing AI capabilities will likely require a dedicated legal framework to tackle emerging challenges more effectively.
According to the IT Secretary, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will begin drafting the proposed legislation through consultations with industry, experts, and other stakeholders. However, he clarified that while the ministry can prepare the draft law, the timeline for introducing and passing the legislation will depend on the government's broader legislative process.
The move reflects India's growing focus on balancing AI innovation with responsible governance. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, the proposed framework is expected to address issues such as accountability, safety, misinformation, transparency, and emerging risks while supporting continued innovation. If enacted, it would mark India's first comprehensive law dedicated specifically to regulating artificial intelligence.
