India's AI Governance Landscape
Insights from Elite Stakeholder Interviews
Siddharth Mehrotra (Universiteit van Amsterdam, TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
Sarah Hladikova (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
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Abstract
India's approach to AI governance differs substantially from Western regulatory frameworks, emphasizing voluntary guidelines and public-private partnerships over prescriptive legislation. While policy documents outline this strategy, little empirical research examines how key stakeholders interpret and implement these frameworks in practice. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 elite stakeholders across government, industry, civil society, and end-user sectors to understand their perspectives on India's governance approach. Our findings reveal significant tensions between developmental aspirations and ethical safeguards, highlight the substantial influence of private technology companies in contributing towards national policy, and expose critical gaps in addressing algorithmic fairness for India's diverse social contexts. This work contributes empirical insights into how India's distinctive governance model operates in practice and identifies key challenges for inclusive AI deployment.
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