India Unveils AI Governance Framework, Opts For ‘Light-Touch’ Oversight
The AI framework lays out guiding principles, or "Sutras," and an action plan spanning short-, medium-, and long-term goals, emphasising growth, risk mitigation, and alignment with global standards.
The Indian government on Wednesday released its much-anticipated AI governance guidelines, outlining a principle-based, light-touch framework for safe and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across sectors.
Calling it a "foundational reference for all stakeholders", MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the framework would help balance innovation with accountability while relying largely on existing laws for governance. "The government has made it clear that it will react reasonably, this is intended to be light-touch regulation," Krishnan said.
The framework lays out guiding principles or "Sutras" and an action plan spread across short-, medium-, and long-term goals, emphasizing inclusive growth, risk mitigation, and alignment with global standards.
Proposed AI Structure
An AI Governance Group (AIGG) will oversee policy coordination,
A Technology & Policy Expert Committee (TPEC) will offer strategic guidance,
An AI Safety Institute (AISI) will handle risk assessment, standards, and global engagement, and
Sectoral regulators will enforce domain-specific compliance.
The document also calls for developing India-specific risk classifications, launching an AI incident reporting system, and embedding human oversight in high-risk applications.
On the infrastructure front, the government aims to expand compute and data access, support indigenous foundation models, and integrate AI with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance governance.
By encouraging regulatory sandboxes, voluntary safeguards, and MSME adoption of AI, the framework positions India’s approach as "agile, inclusive, and innovation-driven."
