MeitY To House AI Technical Secretariat As Part Of New Governance Plan

The Indian government is planning a “technical secretariat” to coordinate AI policies across departments, connect stakeholders, and set common guidelines, replacing earlier proposals for a statutory AI regulator, sources told ET.

The secretariat will be housed within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and act as a technical advisory body without enforcement powers. It will develop standards for data security, environmental impact, and AI-generated media labelling, assess risks to consumers, and maintain an AI incident database. The body may also coordinate a permanent inter-ministerial group including MeitY, NITI Aayog, the Department of Science and Technology, and regulators like RBI and SEBI, aiming to unify AI policy across sectors.

Electronics Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said the framework would be released before September 28, outlining AI safety boundaries and checks on adoption.