New Delhi: The Digital India Bill is set to be taken up for enactment and execution by the upcoming government, according to statements made by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Union Minister made these remarks during an event held recently.
Expressing the need for extensive consultation, Chandrasekhar stated, “Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll be able to catch the legislative window before the elections, because we need certainly a lot of consultation and debate and discussion around it.”
He highlighted that despite the delay, there is a clear roadmap outlining the legislation, policy goals, and principles for safety and trust.
Addressing India’s unique approach to AI regulation, Chandrasekhar highlighted a combination of market regulation similar to the United States and protection of citizens’ rights similar to Europe.
He underscored the necessity of a hybrid approach, stating, “We don’t think markets alone can regulate innovation and AI in particular, nor should we allow our fixation on rights and regulation to innocence, derail the power of AI.”
The Digital India Bill, anticipated to undergo public consultation in the coming months, has been in development for over a year. The bill aligns with the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of AI for individuals and communities.
Chandrasekhar further mentioned the exploration of a sovereign AI model, similar to DPI, to serve as the foundation for providing services to citizens. He stated, “We are focusing on real life use cases healthcare, agriculture, governance, language translation, all of these applications of AI will have real use immediate use in our market.”
The government’s approach revolves around real-life use cases and the supportive infrastructure, with significant investments planned for both the public and private sectors.
