India has released its ambitious “AI Governance Guidelines” ahead of the India AI Impact Summit, aiming to create an inclusive, safe, and innovation-friendly AI ecosystem built on the vision of “AI for all.” The framework, structured around seven core principles including trust, people first, fairness, and accountability, proposes new institutions like the AI Governance Group and IndiaAI Safety Institute to coordinate policy and research. It seeks to balance innovation with ethical safeguards through a combination of broad principles and practical infrastructure.
However, experts point to significant hurdles ahead. The guidelines were developed without meaningful public consultation, raising questions about their “citizen-centric” claims. They also rely on existing laws like the DPDP Act 2023 and IT Rules 2021, both currently facing Supreme Court challenges over privacy concerns and potential misuse for suppressing dissent. Infrastructure gaps, including dependence on foreign chip manufacturers and the absence of India’s own foundational AI models, further complicate implementation.
Equal access is also threatened by the possibility of corporate monopolies controlling the AI market. As one expert pointed out, many smaller enterprises lack the means for appropriate governance, which is likely to result in inconsistent outcomes across the nation, even though serious companies may treat these rules as design specifications.
