India to release AI regulation consultation paper within a month: Ashwini Vaishnaw
The proposed framework will focus on AI safety, deepfakes and a human-first approach, with the government signalling that regulation will combine legal and technological safeguards
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Published: Oct 8, 2026 3:40 PM | 2 min read
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- The Indian government plans to release a consultation paper on artificial intelligence regulation within the next month, focusing on stakeholder input for future governance of AI technologies.
- Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that AI safety will be a primary concern, addressing issues such as deepfakes, cybersecurity, user harm, and the psychological impact of AI systems.
- The proposed regulatory framework will adopt a "techno-legal" approach, combining regulations with technological safeguards and industry involvement, placing primary responsibility for AI-related risks on technology companies.
- This initiative builds on India's existing AI Governance Guidelines and follows earlier discussions on the need for a dedicated AI law, potentially impacting areas like AI-generated content, accountability, and the use of generative AI in consumer services.
The Indian government will release a consultation paper on artificial intelligence regulation within the next month, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday, marking the next step in India’s evolving approach to governing AI.
Speaking at an event around the release of the World Development Report, Vaishnaw said the consultation paper would form the basis for future AI regulations and seek stakeholder views on how the technology should be governed.
“The time has come for AI regulations,” Vaishnaw said, adding that AI safety would be the most important focus of the exercise.
The proposed framework is expected to examine issues including deepfakes, skilling, cybersecurity, user harm and the psychological impact of AI systems. Vaishnaw described deepfakes as a growing societal problem, warning that increasingly realistic synthetic content could mislead users and shape false narratives.
He also stressed that India would not rely on legislation alone, instead favouring a “techno-legal” approach combining regulation with technological safeguards and industry participation.
According to Vaishnaw, technology companies themselves would have to bear the primary responsibility for addressing AI-related risks, while the government would use feedback from the consultation process to shape the eventual regulatory framework.
The move builds on India’s AI Governance Guidelines, which set out a principle-based framework around trust, accountability, safety and a people-first approach while emphasising innovation over restraint. Earlier this year, MeitY also established the AI Governance and Economic Group as an inter-ministerial body to coordinate national AI governance policy.
The consultation paper also follows indications from MeitY earlier this year that India was examining the need for a dedicated AI law, after previously leaning primarily on existing legislation and sector-specific regulation.
For technology companies, publishers, advertisers and digital platforms, the eventual framework could shape areas ranging from AI-generated content and deepfake disclosures to accountability for automated systems and the deployment of generative AI in consumer-facing services.
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