Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 18 FEBRUARY 2026

India's Multi‑Layered, Decentralised, And Principle‑Driven AI Governance Framework

AK & Partners
Explore more from AK & Partners

Artificial Intelligence regulation in India is evolving into a principle‑based, techno‑legal framework that balances innovation with safety...

IndiaTechnology
Anuroop Omkar
Anuroop Omkar

From Policy Sutras to Sector Mandates: Mapping India's AI Governance

Artificial Intelligence regulation in India is evolving into a principle‑based, techno‑legal framework that balances innovation with safety. For the IndiaAI Mission, the Union Budget 2026-2027 allocated INR 1,000 Crore for developing sovereign foundational AI models, supporting startups, building compute capacity (GPUs), and fostering responsible AI, shifting the focus from new institutions to diffusing AI technology across sectors such as data centres and education.

Yet a foundational question remains open for examination: in the absence of a single, standalone statute dedicated exclusively to AI, how should India conceptualise regulation for a technology that cuts across sectors, industries, and societal functions? Are existing legal and policy instruments sufficiently adaptable to address challenges such as algorithmic accountability, data stewardship, and automated decision-making? And how

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Use Of Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Courts

On June 3, 2026, the Supreme Court of India’s AI Committee released preliminary draft of the Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026 (“The Draft”). This marks a shift from scattered experiments with AI tools for translation, transcription, research and case management. With over 93,000 pending matters as of March 2026, the guidelines aim to ease processes for officials and citizens. AI could help reduce backlogs through automated cause-list preparation, transcription, research, and defect scrutiny, but its use also raises serious concerns.
IndiaTechnology
S.S. Rana & Co.
S.S. Rana & Co.
Article

Fintech In India: An Overview Of The Current Regulatory Landscape

India's fintech market is one of the fastest growing in the world, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Estimates put the market at about USD 145 billion at the end of 2025, growing at a compound annual rate of 30.55% to reach roughly USD 550 billion by 2030. India's fintech adoption rate is around 87%, reportedly the highest anywhere and well above the global average of roughly 64% to 67%. Add the world's second-largest digital population and the runway looks long.
IndiaTechnology
Legitpro Law
Legitpro Law
Article

CERT-In’s New AI-Vulnerability Guidelines: A Quick-Reference For OEMs, Tech Vendors And In-House Counsel

Cybersecurity regulation in India has, until now, largely spoken to the entity that suffers the breach. The 2022 CERT-In Directions issued under Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 fixed a six-hour reporting clock on the organisation that detects an incident. The new Guidelines flip the lens onto the entity upstream of that breach, the OEM or technology provider that built the product in the first place. For the first time, vendors supplying software, firmware, cloud platforms, or APIs into India carry direct, time-bound, and independently verifiable obligations of their own and not obligations that are merely passed through a customer contract, but obligations CERT-In itself may enforce.
IndiaTechnology
S.S. Rana & Co.
S.S. Rana & Co.
Article

Cybersecurity Is Now A Contract Risk: What India's New Power-Sector Regulations Mean For Technology Vendors

For most technology vendors, cybersecurity has been a promise made to a customer, set out in a statement of work and enforced, if at all, through the contract. For vendors supplying India's power sector, that is changing. The Central Electricity Authority (Cyber Security in Power Sector) Regulations, 2026, notified on 31 July 2026 under the Electricity Act, 2003, impose obligations directly on vendors, alongside a far more demanding set of requirements for the power-sector entities they serve. Most of these provisions come into force on 1 April 2027.
IndiaTechnology
Legitpro Law
Legitpro Law