Vaishnaw says AI consultation paper should be publishable within a month

Vaishnaw said the government should be able to publish the consultation paper in a month, presenting it as a step toward later rules rather than as a finished regulatory framework.[1] ThePrint reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) would prepare a regulation-focused paper, and that Vaishnaw said stakeholders needed to be brought on board.[2] He made the announcement at an event centred on a World Bank report on AI.[1] For organisations tracking policy, the immediate development is an opportunity to watch for the consultation and its proposed direction; the evidence does not specify a publication date.[1]

Vaishnaw outlined safety, a human-first approach, skilling, inclusion and addressing societal harms as priorities for the proposed framework.[1] He described AI safety as the paper’s most important focus.[1] He also said some sections of society could feel excluded from AI’s transition and gains.[1] The priorities therefore extend beyond technical safety to questions about who benefits and how people may be affected.[1] The evidence does not set out specific measures for these areas, so professionals should distinguish the minister’s stated priorities from obligations that might appear in the eventual framework.[1]

Vaishnaw said industry would have to take most of the responsibility for AI-related risks, citing cybersecurity, safety, user harm, psychological disorders and deepfakes.[1] He said people believe deepfakes and their quality are increasing every day, and warned that they could mislead people and prompt harmful decisions.[1] He also asked for the consultation paper to address psychological harms linked to the way AI can lure people.[1]

ThePrint reported that MeitY’s 2025 AI Governance Guidelines did not propose a dedicated AI law.[2] It also reported that MeitY was considering mandatory requirements if its initial approach proved inadequate over nine to 12 months.[2] Separately, The Indian Express reported that the government had previously said existing laws were sufficient to address AI-related challenges.[3] These reports provide context for the new regulation-focused consultation, but the evidence does not establish what the final rules will require or whether mandatory requirements will follow.[1][2]