AI Regulation in India: Government to Release a Consultation Paper on AI Safety and Deepfakes
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will release a "regulation-focused consultation paper" on AI safety within about a month. A consultation paper is a draft document that the government puts out so that the public, companies and experts can send their views before rules are made.
The main worry behind the paper is the harm caused by AI, especially deepfakes (fake but real-looking videos, photos or voices made with AI).
The government repeated its position that AI cannot be controlled by law alone. It wants a "techno-legal" approach: laws plus technical tools (like labels, watermarks and detection software), with industry doing a large part of the work itself.
MeitY plans to empanel (pre-approve) AI models and solutions so that selected firms and startups can bid in tenders of any government department that wants to use AI.
The government has issued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFE) for graphics processing units (GPUs, the powerful chips used for AI work). Its demand estimate is 10,000 GPUs, and the first tender is for 5,000.
The announcement came at the launch of the World Bank's World Development Report 2026, titled "The Promise of Artificial Intelligence". The report says AI is a historic chance for low- and middle-income countries and advises them to "adopt and adapt, then advance". It also says countries should avoid AI rules that clash with one another.
India's AI Governance Guidelines (2025): How India Plans to Govern Artificial Intelligence
The India AI Governance Guidelines are the Government of India's official framework for how artificial intelligence (AI) should be built, used and kept safe in the country. They were released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on 5 November 2025, under the IndiaAI Mission. They are guidelines, not a law: they do not create new punishments. Instead, they set out principles, recommend changes to existing laws, and propose new bodies to watch over AI.
The consultation paper on AI safety is the next step in turning these guidelines into action. It follows the guidelines' "techno-legal" idea: the government wants rules, but it also wants industry to carry much of the load through technical tools. The plan to empanel AI models and buy GPUs ties in with the IndiaAI Mission's compute and adoption pillars.
Deepfakes and Synthetic Media Governance
A deepfake is a fake photo, video or audio clip made with artificial intelligence (AI) that looks or sounds real. It can show a real person saying or doing something they never said or did. The wider term synthetic media covers all content that is created or changed by computers so that it appears real. Governing deepfakes means making rules and tools to label, detect and remove harmful fake content, while still allowing harmless uses like films, satire and education.
The government says the new consultation paper on AI safety is driven mainly by the harm from deepfakes. The February 2026 amendment to the IT Rules already requires labels and fast takedowns, so the paper is expected to build on that techno-legal base. It is also expected to look at how industry can carry more of the work through detection and labelling tools.
Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Global governance of AI means the rules, agreements and bodies that countries build together to manage the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. It is needed because an AI system built in one country can affect people everywhere. There is no single world treaty on AI yet. Instead, there are summits, declarations, UN processes and national laws that try to work in the same direction.
The government's announcement came at the launch of the World Bank's 2026 World Development Report. The report's warning against AI rules that clash with one another matters for India. India's consultation paper will have to fit with global efforts on AI safety while protecting Indian users from harms such as deepfakes.
- Consultation paper on AI safety: to be launched by MeitY within about a month (announced 8 October 2026)
- GPU demand estimate: 10,000; first tender: 5,000 GPUs (Request for Expression of Interest issued)
- World Development Report 2026 (World Bank): "The Promise of Artificial Intelligence"
- India AI Governance Guidelines: released 5 November 2025; 7 sutras, 6 pillars; AIGG, TPEC, AISI
- IndiaAI Mission: approved 7 March 2024; ₹10,371.92 crore over 5 years
- IT Amendment Rules 2026 on synthetic content: in force 20 February 2026; 3-hour takedown for official orders
- UNGA resolution A/RES/79/325 (26 August 2025): Scientific Panel on AI (40 members) and Global Dialogue on AI Governance