The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India has released a comprehensive White Paper titled “Strengthening AI Governance Through Techno-Legal Framework”, outlining India’s evolving approach to building a trusted, accountable and innovation-oriented artificial intelligence ecosystem. Issued on Friday, the document positions governance not as a barrier to innovation but as a foundational enabler of sustainable technological progress.
A Pro-Innovation Model for AI Governance
At the heart of the White Paper is India’s pro-innovation philosophy on AI governance. Rather than relying solely on prescriptive regulation, the techno-legal framework integrates baseline legal protections with sector-specific regulations and adaptive technical safeguards. This layered approach allows governance measures to evolve alongside rapid advances in AI technology.
The document emphasises that governance must be embedded directly into the design, development and deployment of AI systems. By doing so, accountability and safety become default features rather than post-deployment corrections, reducing systemic risks while encouraging responsible innovation.
Governance as a Prerequisite for Progress
Releasing the White Paper, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, highlighted the strategic importance of robust governance frameworks. He noted that effective AI governance is not merely a regulatory requirement but a prerequisite for sustaining technological momentum.
According to Prof. Sood, the techno-legal approach offers a practical pathway by embedding legal, technical and institutional safeguards into AI systems by design. This, he said, ensures public trust, supports innovation and aligns technological development with societal values.
Key Focus Areas of the White Paper
The White Paper lays out several priority areas to operationalise techno-legal AI governance in India. These include building a shared understanding of the techno-legal approach, enabling safe and trusted AI across the full lifecycle of systems, and identifying technological pathways to translate governance principles into practice.
It also addresses implementation considerations specific to India, recognising the country’s scale, diversity and rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. The document underscores the need for interoperable standards, institutional coordination and capacity building across government, industry and academia.
From Principles to Practice
A significant emphasis of the White Paper is on developing techno-legal tools and compliance mechanisms that can be practically adopted. These tools are intended to help organisations integrate governance requirements into workflows, audits and system architectures without imposing excessive compliance burdens.
By focusing on design-stage interventions, the framework seeks to minimise downstream risks such as algorithmic bias, opacity and misuse. This approach aligns with global best practices while retaining flexibility for India’s unique socio-economic context.
Part of a Broader AI Policy Vision
This publication is the second in OPSA’s White Paper Series on “Emerging Policy Priorities for India’s AI Ecosystem”. The series aims to deepen policy understanding and encourage informed dialogue on critical AI governance issues shaping the country’s digital future.
The first White Paper in the series, released in December 2025, focused on democratising access to AI infrastructure. It advocated treating AI infrastructure as a shared national resource and highlighted key enablers such as access to high-quality datasets, affordable computing resources and integration with Digital Public Infrastructure.
Strengthening India’s Global AI Leadership
Through these knowledge-driven publications, the OPSA seeks to reinforce India’s role as a constructive and credible voice in global AI governance discussions. The techno-legal framework reflects India’s intent to balance innovation with responsibility, contributing to international debates on ethical and accountable AI.
The White Papers are designed as explanatory documents rather than prescriptive rules, supporting informed deliberations among policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and civil society. They aim to shape consensus on how India’s AI ecosystem can grow sustainably and inclusively.
