PSA office releases ‘techno-legal’ AI governance white paper ahead of India AI Impact Summit
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser has released a white paper proposing a “techno-legal” approach to AI governance, combining baseline legal safeguards with technical controls and institutional mechanisms to build a trusted AI ecosystem while preserving innovation.
A governance playbook for ‘safe and trusted AI’
Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit scheduled next month, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India has released a white paper titled “Strengthening AI Governance Through Techno-Legal Framework”. The paper sets out an approach aimed at building an accountable, trusted and innovation-aligned AI ecosystem in India.
A central theme of the document is enabling “safe and trusted AI” across the full AI lifecycle. It outlines how governance can be embedded into AI development and deployment using a blend of law, technology and institutional coordination rather than relying on a single regulatory lever.
What ‘techno-legal’ means in practice
The proposed approach emphasises baseline legal safeguards, sector-specific regulation where appropriate, technical controls and institutional mechanisms. The goal is to mitigate risks—such as harm, misuse, or erosion of public trust—while keeping room for experimentation and scale-up across public and private sectors.
The PSA office also positioned the white paper as part of a wider set of initiatives to shape India’s stance on AI governance, especially as AI adoption rises in critical domains including public services, industry and citizen-facing digital platforms.
How this connects to India’s global positioning
The document frames India’s hosting of the AI Impact Summit 2026 as a signal of intent to contribute to global discussions on responsible, inclusive AI—particularly from the perspective of the Global South. It also describes a shift from broad “action” narratives towards measurable “impact”, with emphasis on inclusive human development, sustainability and bridging capability gaps.
The white paper is also presented as the second publication in a PSA-led series on emerging AI policy priorities, following an earlier note focused on democratising access to AI infrastructure.