India's AI governance, in plain English.
India does not yet have a standalone AI statute. Governance today sits in three layers. National guidelines are voluntary. Sector regulator rules bind entities within their remit. Existing laws already apply to AI too. This hub maps them.
Short answer: is AI regulated in India?
India has no binding AI law today. No AI statute has been passed, and we have found no draft AI Bill. What exists is guidance. MeitY published the India AI Governance Guidelines, 2025 on 5 November 2025. They set seven principles and say a separate AI law is not needed at this stage. They are advice, not law.
The IndiaAI Mission is a funding programme for compute, datasets and startups. It creates no duties for you. NITI Aayog's National Strategy for AI (2018) and Responsible AI for All (NITI Aayog, 2021) are policy papers, not rules.
Binding duties come from elsewhere. Sector regulators can bind the firms they cover. SEBI Regulation 16C has been law since 10 February 2025: a regulated firm is responsible for the AI tools it uses. RBI's FREE-AI framework is non-binding, and its model risk guidance is still a draft. See sector-specific AI rules.
Existing laws also apply to AI. The DPDP Act covers personal data used by AI. The 2026 IT Rules amendment covers realistic AI-made audio, images and video. Consumer, competition and criminal law apply too; see other laws that touch AI.
A national guideline can still shape enforcement discretion, contracts, and sector-regulator expectations. But on its own it does not carry DPDP-scale penalties. Sector rules from RBI, SEBI, or IRDAI, where they exist, are binding on the entities those regulators cover.
Timeline
- 2018National Strategy for AI
NITI Aayog publishes India's first major AI roadmap, a planning document focused on sector applications.
- 2021Responsible AI for All (NITI Aayog, 2021)
NITI Aayog published Part 1 in February 2021. It sets out seven principles for responsible AI.
- 2021Responsible AI for All, Part 2
NITI Aayog published Part 2 in August 2021. It covers how to put the principles into practice.
- 2024IndiaAI Mission
A government initiative gives compute (GPUs), datasets, and funding to Indian startups and researchers.
- 2025CurrentAI Governance Guidelines
MeitY published this on 5 November 2025. Its seven principles are adapted from RBI's FREE-AI committee report. It says no separate AI law is needed at this stage.
Standalone AI legislation — status
India still has no dedicated AI statute. Nothing here has changed in law. What has changed is the government's stated direction.
In November 2025, MeitY's India AI Governance Guidelines said a separate law to regulate AI is not needed at this stage. They said existing laws can be used, with targeted changes.
We have found no draft AI Bill and no MeitY consultation paper on an AI law.
What we will track: any draft AI Bill, any MeitY consultation paper on AI regulation, and any Digital India Act text carrying AI provisions.
Reported, not confirmed
We could not open an official record for these items. They create no duty for you.
In this cluster
Each sub-article traces to a primary source. Where a source URL was not confirmed at research time, it is marked Pending confirmation rather than fabricated.
India AI Governance Guidelines, 2025
MeitY's November 2025 advice on AI: seven principles, six areas of advice and three proposed bodies. Advice, not law.
ReadIndiaAI Mission (2024)
Government initiative giving Indian startups and researchers access to compute (GPUs), datasets, and funding.
ReadNational Strategy for AI, 2018
NITI Aayog's first major AI roadmap. It's a planning document focused on sectors like agriculture and healthcare, not a binding regulation.
ReadResponsible AI for All (NITI Aayog, 2021)
NITI Aayog's papers on fair, inclusive AI. NITI Aayog published Part 1 in February 2021 and Part 2 in August 2021.
ReadSector-Specific AI Rules
National AI guidelines are voluntary. But RBI, SEBI and IRDAI can issue binding AI rules for the entities they regulate.
ReadRBI FREE-AI Framework (Aug 2025)
"Framework for Responsible and Ethical Enablement of AI." It's the most operationally detailed AI framework from any Indian regulator so far.
ReadRBI Draft Model Risk Management, 2026
RBI's June 2026 draft guidance for banks covers kill-switch mechanisms, board-level accountability, and explainability. It's a draft, not final.
ReadAI and Copyright (DPIIT, Dec 2025)
A proposal: a blanket licence to train AI on copyright works, with royalties for creators. Not law yet.
ReadOther Laws That Touch AI
CCI competition law, CCPA dark-pattern guidelines, and BNS 2023 already affect how you build and use AI.
ReadDPDP vs GDPR, framed for AI builders
Side-by-side on the points that matter for AI: legal basis for training, scraped public data, automated decisions, research, children, and transfers.
ReadHow ready are you?
Reading about AI governance expectations? Run through the readiness checklist to see what's already covered and what's missing.
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