Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said India is working to make Artificial Intelligence accessible to a broad range of users, including startups, researchers, students and businesses, while ensuring that its use remains safe and responsible.
Vaishnaw made the remarks at the India launch of the World Bank Group's World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in New Delhi. The report examines how developing economies can use AI for development through adoption, adaptation and advancement.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the World Bank Group's World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in New Delhi.
India is seeking to expand access to AI among startups, researchers, students and other sections of society.
A regulation-focused AI consultation paper is expected within the next month.
The proposed consultation will address AI safety, cybersecurity, skilling, inclusion and potential harms.
Deepfakes and other harmful applications are among the concerns being considered.
The government is also supporting the development of responsible and indigenous AI capabilities.
The minister said the real benefits of AI would come from its practical use to improve productivity, reduce costs, increase opportunities and improve people's lives. He also highlighted the importance of making AI benefits available to sections of society that have traditionally had limited access to technology.
Vaishnaw said the government plans to release a regulation-focused consultation paper on AI within the next month. He said the consultation would cover AI safety, cybersecurity, the benefits and potential harms of AI, skilling and ensuring that AI benefits reach all sections of society.
The minister also identified harmful applications such as deepfakes as an area of concern. He said the proposed regulatory approach would seek to protect people from such harms while maintaining a human-first approach to AI.
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Why This Matters
The proposed consultation could help shape India's future approach to AI governance, particularly around safety, cybersecurity, inclusion and protection from harmful uses of AI.
The government is also working to strengthen India's AI ecosystem. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said its approach includes expanding access to compute, data and AI models, developing indigenous tools and frameworks for responsible AI, and supporting areas such as AI bias mitigation, algorithm auditing, explainable AI, privacy-preserving AI and deepfake detection.
MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the World Development Report's approach aligns with India's AI roadmap covering compute, data and models. He also highlighted the importance of human capabilities and said work is under way on an AI Talent Mission.
