Government to Shape National AI Framework

NEW DELHI — The Indian government is set to release a comprehensive consultation paper on Artificial Intelligence in the coming weeks, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at a major global policy summit. The upcoming framework aims to gather extensive inputs from industry leaders, civil society, technology experts, and everyday citizens to balance technological innovation with rigorous safety standards.

Highlighting the rapid integration of AI across traditional and modern sectors—including banking, manufacturing, insurance, and financial services—Vaishnaw stressed that while the economic advantages are evident, policymakers must proactively address potential systemic risks.

"We'll be issuing a consultation paper in the coming weeks," Vaishnaw stated. "That consultation paper will be where we will seek all the inputs from society, from citizens, from industries, and stakeholders."

Global Standards and Human-Centric Safeguards

Addressing the international landscape of artificial intelligence governance, the minister emphasized that major global AI ecosystems must collaborate to establish foundational safety benchmarks. As nations race to develop advanced foundational models, establishing universal guardrails remains a critical priority for policymakers worldwide.

"Among the top three or top four AI ecosystems in the world, countries like us will all sit together and come up with some fundamental principles by which AI has to be judged," he noted.

Emphasizing a human-first approach, Vaishnaw underlined that human operators must retain absolute control over autonomous agents, core algorithms, and procedural outcomes. Crucially, governance models must incorporate fail-safes capable of halting systems if operations deviate beyond safe parameters.

"The race towards innovation has to be moderated by the safety of human beings... It has to make sure that control over the agents, control over the models, control over the outcome that happens, and control over the processes are in human hands. There has to be some equivalent of stopping things if they go out of control."

Ambitious Timeline for Domestic Smartphone Manufacturing

Shifting focus to hardware manufacturing and technological self-reliance, the Union Minister set a firm deadline for India's domestic consumer electronics sector. Vaishnaw asserted that by October 2028, the nation will successfully establish indigenous manufacturing and branding ecosystems capable of competing with global heavyweights like Apple and Samsung.

"This is 23 October 2026. Please note it: 23 October 2028. You will have Indian-designed, Indian-manufactured, Indian-branded mobile phones," Vaishnaw declared.

As India positions itself as a dominant force in both digital governance and hardware production, the upcoming consultation paper is expected to serve as a cornerstone for the country's legislative and technological trajectory over the next decade.