India releases AI governance guidelines with 'human-centric' goal

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) along with the IndiaAI mission on November 5, 2025, announced a national AI governance framework aimed at ensuring safe, inclusive and responsible use of the technology.

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The document outlines four key components including seven guiding principles, six governance pillars, short-, medium- and long-term action plans and implementation guidance for developers, managers and businesses.

According to Mr. S. Krishnan - Secretary of MEITy, the focus lies on "ensuring AI serves humanity and benefits people's lives while addressing potential harms".

Meanwhile, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood - Senior Scientific Advisor to the Government of India - emphasized the core principle of "Do No Harm", and affirmed that the governance system needs to be flexible to adapt to the development speed of AI.

The governance document said the development of AI has now outpaced the speed of institutional adaptation. AI is widely applied in many fields such as health, education , energy, infrastructure management and public services, but it has potential risks of bias, privacy and data security.

So, India has built a governance framework of reference for the entire ecosystem – with the aim of balancing technological innovation and protecting citizens.

Under the framework, entities developing and operating AI systems will have to comply with requirements on transparency, explainability, accountability and ensure that they do not cause harm to users.

This is not a binding law but a reference document for sectors and localities to implement according to their specific characteristics, but is expected to be integrated into India's current legal and policy framework.

The announcement of India's AI governance framework comes as the country prepares to host the Global AI Summit in early 2026 in New Delhi.

The guidelines are also seen as a move to assert India's position in the international race for AI technology and policy.

However, experts warn that despite the comprehensive and detailed text, there are still many steps to take to turn the guidance into widespread practice. Issues include the ability to deploy it to small localities, resources, management capacity and monitoring mechanisms. Ensuring that AI is developed and used in a fair, responsible manner and does not widen the digital divide is a major challenge.

India’s publication of a human-centered AI governance framework is a significant step towards a safe, transparent, and sustainable AI system. While much remains to be done for effective nationwide deployment, the document provides a framework for technology that serves people, not just as a tool.

Nguyen Bach

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nhan/an-do-phat-hanh-huong-dan-quan-tri-ai-voi-muc-tieu-con-nguoi-la-trung-tam/20251106110314619