India advances AI legislation and launches national AI council

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology indicated that the government is preparing a dedicated legal framework for artificial intelligence, saying the timing is becoming right for separate AI legislation. Secretary S. Krishnan noted that existing laws have been used to address issues such as deepfakes and content labeling, but a draft bill may soon be prepared, although no timeline was given. He also mentioned that export restrictions on Anthropic's Mythos model have been eased, while controls on newer models remain pending US clearance.

Separately, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) launched the AI Council of India (AICI), a platform bringing together policymakers, tech firms, startups, academia and investors. The council aims to overcome fragmentation in the Indian AI ecosystem through three focus areas: frontier models and research, AI infrastructure and compute, and applied AI for sectors like healthcare and agriculture. It will organize an annual India AI Summit and establish AI clubs across universities to develop talent.

Both initiatives underscore India's push to shape AI governance and strengthen its domestic AI industry.