New Delhi, Jan 23: The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India has released a White Paper titled “Strengthening AI Governance Through Techno-Legal Framework”, outlining the country’s approach towards building a trusted, accountable and innovation-driven artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.
The White Paper highlights a techno-legal governance framework aimed at mitigating risks while preserving flexibility and innovation in AI systems. It underlines India’s pro-innovation stance by integrating baseline legal safeguards, sector-specific regulations, technical controls and institutional mechanisms.
Speaking at the release, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood said that developing a robust and responsive governance framework is not only a regulatory necessity but also a prerequisite for sustaining technological progress.
“The techno-legal approach offers a viable pathway by embedding legal, technical and institutional safeguards into AI systems by design,” he said.
The document defines the techno-legal model as an ecosystem-wide framework that embeds governance directly into the design and operation of AI systems. Key focus areas include ensuring safe and trusted AI across the entire lifecycle, technological pathways for operationalising governance, implementation strategies for India, and the development of compliance mechanisms.
This is the second White Paper in the OPSA’s series on “Emerging Policy Priorities for India’s AI Ecosystem”. The first paper, released in December 2025, focused on “Democratising Access to AI Infrastructure”, stressing the importance of treating AI infrastructure as a shared national resource. The series aims to support informed policy deliberations and reinforce India’s role in shaping the global discourse on AI governance.
The White Paper is available on the OPSA website.
