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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Supreme Court has granted the Centre a final opportunity to present measures taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material on social media platforms, following a petition highlighting inconsistent compliance by intermediaries.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union ministries of electronics and information technology and law and justice regarding a plea for safeguards for minors on social media. The NGO 'Just Rights for Children Alliance' filed the plea, arguing that social media platforms should not enter into contracts with children under 18, citing their statutory incapacity to contract and the risks of online harm.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to explore a statutory framework to ensure social media intermediaries comply with Indian laws regarding minors, particularly concerning their inability to independently enter into contracts. The court highlighted the need for safeguards to protect children from potential harms on digital platforms, including exploitation and misuse of data, and asked the Solicitor General to examine incorporating these requirements into intermediary rules.
The Supreme Court has declared that children have a fundamental right to access and use the internet, directing the Centre to establish a national database for detecting and removing child sexually explicit visual content. The ruling, stemming from a plea by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, emphasises the internet's value for learning and expression while acknowledging the need for safeguards like parental consent and a "child mode" for accounts, rather than blanket restrictions.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke is set to appear before a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) committee regarding the withholding of the group's X account. This development comes amidst an ongoing CJP protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities and the NEET paper-leak controversy.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre's Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) to consider a complaint regarding the removal of allegedly inflammatory and derogatory YouTube videos targeting Shirdi Sai Baba. The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, seeks the removal of content that it claims hurts religious sentiments and promotes communal disharmony, despite a previous GAC order for removal of some material.
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.
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.
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.
IIT Madras is hosting the 3rd Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and RISC-V International. The symposium aims to unite stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to advance India's semiconductor innovation, focusing on indigenous processor technologies, secure computing, hardware innovation, and AI, aligning with the government's vision for India as a global semiconductor hub.
A Mumbai-based social media influencer has filed a complaint with Indore police, seeking an investigation into the alleged presence of minor boys and girls at a recent student protest in New Delhi. The complaint targets Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and chief spokesperson Saurav Das, among others, for facilitating minors' participation in the NEET paper leak agitation. Police are investigating the matter, which could lead to charges under POCSO, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, IT Act, and Juvenile Justice Act if cognisable offences are found.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre, states, and social media platforms Meta and X on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging police organisations' practice of posting content that reveals the identities of accused individuals or depicts them in a dehumanising manner. The PIL calls for guidelines to regulate police social media use and mechanisms for content removal.
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 Indian government has approved two major manufacturing initiatives worth nearly Rs 1.9 lakh crore (USD 22 billion) to expand the country's semiconductor ecosystem and scale up mobile phone production, aiming to strengthen its position as a global electronics manufacturing hub.
Meta's global team met with top Indian IT Ministry officials following government summons regarding the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post and ongoing concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms.
India's newly formed Artificial Intelligence Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) is set to advocate for a unified legal framework for AI companies, including developers of large language models and chatbot systems, alongside broader operational rules.
Apple Inc, which had planned to shift only 10 per cent of its global production base from China to India with respect to iPhones at the end of FY26, is currently churning out one out of every four iPhones in the world from India.
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.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that human-led artificial intelligence will be the defining force in India's journey to becoming a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, he emphasised that technology must strengthen governance without replacing human accountability, advocating for responsible AI deployment with citizens at the centre. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration on e-Governance 2026, outlining a roadmap for AI-enabled, data-driven, and secure digital governance.
The United States and the European Union have strongly criticised India's trade policies at the World Trade Organization review, highlighting concerns over high tariffs, quality-control orders (QCOs), and restrictions on digital trade and services, which they argue undermine India's economic openness.
The government on Tuesday summoned a top Meta executive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent post addressing India's youth and promising stringent measures against paper leaks was briefly restricted by Facebook, and although the US-headquartered social media giant blamed it on a technical glitch and apologised, the IT Ministry found the explanation "inadequate".
'We are considering this to ensure swift action on content for which the respective ministries have domain experts and can better determine the illegality of the content or the web site that needs to be taken down.'
The Indian government has summoned Meta's global head of public policy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, addressing youth and promising action against paper leaks, was temporarily removed. Meta attributed the removal to a 'glitch' in its automated content filters, an explanation the government deems insufficient, demanding further discussions.
The government on Tuesday notified the Rs 22,919 crore scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of electronics components, display and camera modules, non-surface mount devices, multi-layer printed circuit boards and lithium-ion cells for digital applications, among others. The scheme is likely to be operationalised in the next 2-3 weeks.
Global tech major Salesforce has committed to equipping one million learners across India with AI-focused skills by 2030, leveraging government partnerships, virtual internships, academic centres, and its partner network.
'If X fails to comply with these directions, appropriate action will be taken against the platform, including 'the loss of the exemption from liability under Section 79 of the IT Act, and consequential action as provided (for) under any law including the IT Act and the BNS.'
Chandrasekaran's exit is more than a change of chairman. It represents the breakdown of the informal consensus that governed the Tata system under Ratan Tata.
'We are in touch with industry to further compress the timelines.'
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).
The Delhi High Court has asked a review committee to examine the blocking of the Cockroach Janta Party's X account, refusing to order its immediate unblocking but allowing the party's founder to appear before the committee.
The key proposals from the IT industry that were not addressed included removal of dual levies on software products
The Delhi High Court has recognised an individual's 'right to be forgotten', ruling that search engines cannot perpetually display judicial records in name-based searches for private cases or those ending in acquittal.
After reviewing the preparations at the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pradhan said meetings have been held under the Cabinet secretary, and all the states have been asked to cooperate.
The "huge mountain of debt" in developed economies and the risk of a possible unravelling is a matter of concern for India, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday, pointing to the recent spike in Japanese bond yields.
The court is hearing appeals against a CCI order imposing a penalty on Meta and WhatsApp.
