Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw indicates India may require a new legal framework for Artificial Intelligence, as the current IT law predates AI's rapid emergence. The government aims to balance innovation with regulation, engaging with the industry to ensure citizen safety while fostering technological growth.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted that the BJP will form the government in West Bengal after the upcoming assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule. He criticised the TMC for vote-bank politics, hindering development, and failing to protect women, while promising unprecedented development under a BJP government.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian government will release a draft consultation paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulations within the next 30 days, focusing on safety, a human-first approach, skilling, inclusivity, and harm restriction.
The 51-year-old BJP leader Vaishnaw, born in Rajasthan's Jodhpur, is a suave and former Odisha cadre IAS officer from the 1994 batch. He managed to wrangle support from the ruling BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik despite being in the rival camp.
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian government will release a consultation paper on AI regulations within a month. This framework will address critical aspects like AI safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach, emphasising the industry's primary responsibility in ensuring safe AI deployment. The move comes amidst growing global concerns over AI risks and the need for robust safeguards.
The change in leadership at the railway ministry comes at a time when the national transporter is grappling with low passenger earnings even as it is trying to increase freight loading and open up its doors to private investment. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took charge from Piyush Goyal who got the railway portfolio in 2017 after Prime Minister Narendra Modii dropped Suresh Prabhu from the Union Cabinet. Completing freight corridors, negotiating land for the bullet train, and speeding up monetisation plans would be some of the major focus areas for Vaishnaw.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a meeting focusing on Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies, and electronics hardware manufacturing, highlighting India's progress and future roadmap in these sectors.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw warned of increased global turbulence from tech disruptions, AI, and financial risks in the coming years. He stated that India is strengthening its economic and technological resilience to protect its growth from external shocks. India is focusing on domestic manufacturing and design in critical tech areas while maintaining global integration, with trust becoming as crucial as cost in supply chains.
From trusted bureaucrat, to Wharton, MNC executive to businessman, and now politician, the man in charge of two weighty ministries is a unique all-rounder with specialist knowledge.
Black money to the tune of "Rs 1.25 lakh crore" has been confiscated by the Modi government, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday and asserted transparency is a key aspect of the present dispensation's good governance model. The minister for railways said similarly, to ensure transparency, benami properties worth Rs 4,300 crore were attached and registration of 1.75 lakh companies cancelled. Talking to reporters at the Rail Bhawan, Vaishnaw said in his long public service, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "perfected a model of good governance that started in Gujarat".
India's IT Ministry sources state the country will not slow down its Artificial Intelligence development, distinguishing its focus on people-centric applications from global concerns over frontier models. The government acknowledges AI safety risks and is tightening incident reporting norms, with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasising regulation for user safety.
India has launched the ~62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) to incentivise domestic production and strengthen Indian mobile phone brands, offering production-linked incentives and additional benefits for local component sourcing.
The Indian Cabinet has approved Fairfax Financial Holdings' Rs 52,878 crore bid to acquire a 60.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank, marking the country's largest foreign direct investment in the financial sector.
India's IT Secretary S Krishnan announced that the government is considering a dedicated regulatory framework for Artificial Intelligence, moving beyond existing IT rules to address challenges like deepfakes and synthetic content. This comes as global policymakers grapple with AI's rapid emergence and its implications.
The government is questioning the visiting Meta team on whether the company is adhering to the law of the land, following summons to the social media giant over temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post recently, sources said on Thursday.
India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials to summon Meta regarding Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material, following a BBC investigation. This action comes shortly after the government also questioned Meta about WhatsApp's planned username feature, citing concerns over increased online fraud and cybercrimes.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate the underground tunnel-boring work from Vikhroli to the Bandra Kurla Complex station in Mumbai on Sunday, marking the maiden use of a tunnel boring machine for the country's first bullet train project, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that two more semiconductor chip packaging units, part of the India Semiconductor Mission, are expected to be operational by July and December, respectively. He also highlighted India's focus on becoming a beneficiary of AI technology, expanding data centre infrastructure with significant investments, and developing new subsea cable networks for global connectivity.
The government is going to bring a regulation on deepfakes soon that will take help of technology for efficient implementation, Union electronics and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.
Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha stated that evolving architecture and methodologies for safely deploying Artificial Intelligence, coupled with adequate guardrails, are essential to unlock productivity gains. He welcomed the government's upcoming consultation paper on AI regulation, focusing on safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach. Sinha also highlighted AI's role in driving demand for digital infrastructure and Airtel's growth in cybersecurity and fraud prevention.
The Vande Bharat Express has successfully achieved a speed of 100 kmph over the world's highest Chenab Railway Bridge and India's first cable-stayed Anji Bridge. This significant speed enhancement on the 111-km Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link project will reduce travel time and improve rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.
'Details of accounts such as the name, email id associated with the account, the IP address will now be shared with law enforcement agencies, which will help track down offenders faster.'
Search engine major Google will also start sharing details of child sexual abuse cases and repeat offenders with the cybercrime division of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) has sent a letter to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw calling for a nationwide prohibition on billboards, television, online and other advertisements for meat, beginning on October 2.
Senior executives from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, appeared before India's child rights body, NCPCR, for questioning regarding alleged advertisements promoting child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) on its platforms. This follows a BBC report and a stern notice from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to Meta over the issue.
Chinese President Xi Jinping notably skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and other dignitaries, with sources suggesting he returned to his hotel to rest. Meanwhile, a grand cultural performance, 'BRICS Symphony - One Rhythm, Many Cultures', featuring artistes from member countries, was a highlight of the evening.
India is strategically positioned to develop a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem, driven by increasing electronics consumption, strong government support through incentives, and a global shift in supply chains. Boston Consulting Group Managing Director Ankush Wadhera highlights India's potential as a safe haven for investments, with the AI boom further fuelling demand for advanced chips. The nation aims to expand its capabilities across the entire semiconductor value chain, attracting significant global and domestic investments.
The Union Cabinet has approved a significant increase in the mandatory EPFO wage ceiling from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, a move expected to bring over 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory social security coverage.
The Finance Ministry's expenditure department has approved a substantial Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, significantly increasing the country's investment in global chip-making ambitions and aiming to establish India as a major semiconductor hub.
Industry experts advocate for India to develop its own artificial intelligence (AI) safety framework, distinct from US or EU models, to address unique challenges like deepfakes and cyberattacks. They call for a comprehensive commitment involving all stakeholders and a hybrid regulatory approach combining voluntary and binding measures, as the Indian government also considers new AI regulations.
The government has issued a stern notice to Meta on Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram, sources said on Sunday.
Modi inaugurated the Semicon India 2025 in Delhi, in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.
'I think that kind of change is coming. We should stay prepared for that change, whichever industry or sector we are in, we must be prepared.'
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has issued an apology for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, while company executives acknowledged significant content moderation failures, including issues with child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, and the paid boosting of certain content.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlights the growing demand for AI-related jobs in India and the transformation needed in the IT industry. He also mentions significant investments in data centres and subsea cable networks to boost digital infrastructure.
India has established a high-level inter-ministerial body, the AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), to steer the country's national AI governance strategy. The AIGEG will coordinate policy across ministries and oversee cross-sectoral governance issues, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC).
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation for a USD 15 billion Google Artificial Intelligence data centre near Visakhapatnam, calling it a 'growth engine for India' and Asia's biggest such facility.
India has launched its first hydrogen-powered train, the 'Namo Green Rail', from Jind, Haryana, marking a significant step towards sustainable railway mobility. The 10-coach train, which emits only water vapour, is currently operating on the Jind-Sonipat route and represents a major technological advancement for the country's transport sector.
The Northern Railway is expected to soon announce the date for the commencement of commercial operations of the country's first hydrogen-powered train after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana on Friday.
The Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday announced its support for the candidature of Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashwini Vaishnaw in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha
