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New Delhi: India’s Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) has released a white paper on AI governance, proposing a “techno-legal” framework aimed at balancing innovation with risk mitigation. According to an official press release, the framework integrates legal safeguards, technical controls, and institutional mechanisms to ensure the trusted development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
Titled Strengthening AI Governance Through Techno-Legal Framework, the white paper outlines a comprehensive institutional mechanism to operationalise India’s AI governance ecosystem. It emphasises that the success of any policy instrument ultimately depends on effective implementation. The proposed framework seeks to strengthen the broader AI ecosystem, including industry, academia, government bodies, AI model developers, deployers, and users.
At the core of the initiative is the establishment of the AI Governance Group (AIGG), chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser. The group will coordinate across government ministries, regulators, and policy advisory bodies to address the current fragmentation in AI governance and operational processes. Within the techno-legal governance context, this coordination aims to establish uniform standards for responsible AI regulations and guidelines. The AIGG will also promote responsible AI innovation and beneficial deployment across key sectors, while identifying regulatory gaps and recommending legal amendments.
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Supporting the AIGG is a dedicated Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC), to be housed within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The committee will bring together multidisciplinary expertise spanning law, public policy, machine learning, AI safety, and cybersecurity. According to the white paper, the TPEC will advise the AIGG on issues of national importance, including global AI policy developments and emerging AI capabilities.
The framework also proposes the creation of an AI Safety Institute (AISI), which will act as the primary centre for evaluating, testing, and ensuring the safety of AI systems deployed across sectors. The AISI is expected to support the IndiaAI Mission by developing techno-legal tools to address challenges such as content authentication, bias, and cybersecurity. It will generate risk assessments and compliance reviews to inform policymaking, while enabling cross-border collaboration with global AI safety institutes and standards-setting organisations.
To monitor post-deployment risks, the framework introduces a National AI Incident Database to record, classify, and analyse AI-related safety failures, biased outcomes, and security breaches across the country. Drawing on global best practices such as the OECD AI Incident Monitor, the database will be adapted to India’s sectoral realities and governance structures. Reports will be submitted by public bodies, private organisations, researchers, and civil society groups.
The white paper also advocates voluntary industry commitments and self-regulation. Industry-led practices, including transparency reporting and red-teaming exercises, are highlighted as critical to strengthening the techno-legal framework. The government plans to provide financial, technical, and regulatory incentives to organisations demonstrating leadership in responsible AI practices, with a focus on consistency, continuous learning, and innovation to avoid fragmented approaches and provide greater clarity for businesses.
