India, Nov. 8 -- When India's Principal Scientific Advisor, Ajay Kumar Sood, introduced the new AI (Artificial Intelligence) Governance Guidelines under IndiaAI Mission, he made a simple assertion: It is built on the principle of "Do no harm." Behind the moral anchor is an ambitious agenda. IDC estimates India's AI spend to reach more than $9 billion by 2028, growing at more than 35 per cent annually. Faster adoption across industries, states the NITI Aayog, can contribute $500-600 billion to the GDP by 2035, or a fifth of its current size.

IndiaAI Mission is backed by Rs2,000 crore funding, and seeks to anchor growth in responsible innovation. The guidelines are structured around seven principles (Sutras), and phased into short-, medium...