'There has to be a safe harbour for licensed entities, which have followed all the norms prescribed by the RBI.'
India is a global leader in software development services, IT enabled services, knowledge process outsourcing services and contract R&D services relating to software development, Sitharaman said noting these business segments are quite inter-connected with each other.
Describing India as a 'safe harbour' for foreign investors, ICICI Bank chairman K V Kamath has said that the country's infrastructure space alone would need $750 billion over the next three years, one-third of which would come from foreign and domestic institutions.
The Indian IT Ministry has engaged in 'hard talk' with Meta regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM), leading to increased sensitivity and action from the tech giant. The government asserts that Indian laws must be followed and social media harms mitigated, with no safe harbour for violations. Discussions also covered AI labelling and the WhatsApp username issue, highlighting a global concern over social media harms.
He said that fact-checkers are a reference point to fight against misinformation and rejected arguments that it will adversely impact "free speech".
'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.'
Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters, including child sexual abuse cases, to appropriate law enforcement agencies in India, government sources confirmed, emphasising that online safety for children is a "non-negotiable" fundamental principle for social media platforms operating in the country.
Government sources state that Meta, due to its algorithmic amplification of content, can no longer be considered a "simple intermediary" but rather a "service provider," implying greater responsibility and potential loss of legal immunity. This shift comes as Meta commits to directly reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement, amidst increasing government scrutiny over harmful online content and algorithmic bias.
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.
A parliamentary standing committee on Information Technology has demanded a personal apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook. The committee also discussed potential legal action and the withdrawal of safe harbour protection, while questioning Meta officials on algorithmic bias and accountability.
Two influential Congressional sub-committees will hold a joint hearing on Pakistan's commitment in the fight against terrorism
The Indian government is questioning whether Meta's recommendation systems and paid content promotion align with its status as an intermediary under the IT Act, raising concerns about the company's liability for content it actively decides to show users.
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has urged the industry to invest in skilling, capability development, and innovation to counter the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly for Global Capability Centres (GCCs). He noted that while the government has supported GCCs through Budget measures like simplifying transfer pricing and promoting expansion into tier-II/III cities, industry must move beyond low-cost execution to thrive in an an AI-driven landscape. Nageswaran emphasised that AI displaces routine tasks, necessitating a focus on higher-value work and continuous skill enhancement to maintain India's competitive edge.
Indian banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are undertaking a comprehensive review and reset of their engagement terms with fintech firms, driven by the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) draft Guidance on Regulatory Expectations for Data Governance and the stringent compliance requirements of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and its 2025 Rules.
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.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed to exempt Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) for non-residents who pay tax on presumptive basis.
Building on last year's clearance of 172K cases, I-T department is pushing for faster appeal disposals, penalty reforms and system-driven processes to curb litigation and boost tax certainty.
A lone fisherman survived after a fishing boat carrying seven capsizes off the Visakhapatnam coast; a passing ship saved him from certain death after the crew threw him a life jacket and pulled him on board.
Sources further said that Twitter is the only social media platform among the mainstream that has not adhered to the new laws.
On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, the Indian military issued a stern warning to Pakistan, stating that no terror sanctuary across the border is safe and that India will continue to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.
This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Mumbai experienced heavy overnight monsoon rains, with some areas receiving over 200 mm in 24 hours, leading to widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion, and disruptions in suburban train services, particularly on Central Railway lines due to a track cave-in.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the people of Diamond Harbour have been unable to exercise their voting rights for a decade. He assured people that the scenario has now changed, and the May 21 repolling in the Falta Assembly seat will re-establish voter rights.
The Union Budget on Sunday proposed a tax holiday till 2047 for foreign companies that provide cloud services to customers globally using data centres located in India, signalling the government's push to make the country a major hub for AI and digital infrastructure.
The Union Budget on Sunday proposed a tax holiday till 2047 for foreign companies that provide cloud services to customers globally using data centres located in India, signalling the government's push to make the country a major hub for AI and digital infrastructure.
The proposals outlined in Budget 2026-27 represent a carefully crafted, multi-year strategy designed to strengthen India's big bets on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047, says Sameer Gupta.
The 2026-27 Budget, seeking to harmonise the government's imperative to grant certainty while ensuring a rational tax policy, had several notable announcements to usher in halcyon days, says Mukesh Butani.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi awarded Yudh Seva Medals to Vice Admiral A N Pramod and Vice Admiral Rahul Gokhale for their distinguished service during Operation Sindoor. The operation involved a strong naval response to security concerns, showcasing strategic planning and effective deployment of naval assets.
Budget 2026 is an intentional and ambitious one - From manufacturing growth to services supremacy, from technology consumption to AI-powered transformation. This is the blueprint for a $7 trillion economy built on intelligence, not just scale.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, highlighting the government's incentives for data center investments and inviting the world's data to reside in India.
The Budget reflects a clear focus on strengthening India's long-term prospects by leaning on nation-building sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Russia has expressed strong concern over a US-Israeli strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali, a key transit hub on the INSTC, warning of the risk of drawing Caspian states into the ongoing conflict.
Sources told PTI that X has submitted their response, and it is under examination.
Cognizant reported a significant increase in net income for the December quarter, driven by AI efficiencies and strong performance in the financial services sector. The company also announced a major deal and provided guidance for the upcoming year.
India Inc on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a 'structural shift' in the country's technology landscape, noting that the government is moving beyond fragmented pilots to build foundational layers where AI serves as a 'horizontal enabler' for the entire economy.
Microblogging platform X has implemented technological measures to prevent its Grok AI chatbot from generating images of real people in revealing clothing in jurisdictions where it is illegal, following government pressure over obscene deepfakes.
Taming the animal called AI in its many avatars will clearly remain a work in progress.
Viswanathan Anand's wife Aruna was not able to step out to help those affected by the floods in Chennai. So here's what she did.
X has accepted its mistake, and said it will comply with Indian laws, sources said, adding that in future, the platform will not allow obscene imagery.
'Given that India underperformed emerging markets by 28 per cent in 2025, the worst performance in over 30 years, the timing of the sharp STT hike could have been better.'
