India AI Governance Guidelines do not allow unrestricted deployment of high-risk AI systems: MoS Jitin Prasada

New Delhi [India], December 20 (ANI): India AI Governance Guidelines, released in early November 2025, do not allow unrestricted deployment of high-risk AI systems and instead adopts a risk-based, evidence-led and proportional governance approach, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed Rajya Sabha.
The India AI Governance Guidelines were released on November 5, 2025. It provides a comprehensive national framework to ensure the safe, responsible, and inclusive development of Artificial Intelligence in the country.
"The Guidelines recognise that AI is a major driver of economic growth and social change. At the same time, it can also pose risks to individuals and society. Some of these include bias, discrimination, unfair outcomes, exclusion, and lack of transparency," as per the information submitted by the minister in Rajya Sabha on Friday. "The Guidelines do not allow unrestricted deployment of high-risk AI systems. It adopts a risk-based, evidence-led and proportional governance approach."
Safeguards are outlined to address risks to individuals and society. The Guidelines state that sectoral regulators will remain responsible for enforcement and oversight within their legal mandate.
The Guidelines are designed to be agile and flexible. They are principle-based and not prescriptive. Their purpose is to support responsible AI adoption without stifling innovation.
"They do not introduce new statutory mechanisms such as independent audits, appeals, or new oversight bodies. Instead, the Guidelines rely on existing laws. These include the Information Technology Act, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and sector-specific regulations. The Guidelines state that a new horizontal AI law is not required at this stage, in line with the overall approach of Government."
India is democratising the development and usage of technology. The focus is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for solving real-world problems and ultimately improving lives across various sectors.
The Minister said that the government has taken a balanced and pragmatic techno-legal approach towards its regulation. India's AI strategy has been formed after studying legal frameworks around the world and extensive consultation with stakeholders.
"India combines legal safeguards with technological solutions, rather than relying only on laws or market forces. The Government is funding R&D projects at premier institutions such as IITs to develop AI tools for deepfake detection, privacy protection and cybersecurity. This approach reflects India's belief that effective AI governance must be supported by practical technical interventions. This will ensure that innovation continues without compromising the safety, trust and rights of citizens," as per the information submitted by the the minister in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)