New regulations require social media platforms to remove unlawful AI-generated content within three hours, while 13 Responsible AI projects under the IndiaAI Mission aim to strengthen deepfake detection and promote secure, transparent artificial intelligence.
The Union government has introduced a two-pronged strategy to address the growing risks posed by deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation. Alongside approving 13 Responsible AI research projects under the IndiaAI Mission, it has significantly tightened compliance requirements for digital platforms by mandating the removal of unlawful AI-generated content within three hours of receiving a valid government or court order.
The latest measures are designed to curb the spread of misleading synthetic content while encouraging the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence technologies. The government believes the combined approach will strengthen online safety without slowing the pace of AI innovation in the country.
The newly approved research initiatives are being led by leading academic and research institutions under the Safe and Trusted AI pillar of the IndiaAI Mission. Their focus spans several critical areas, including deepfake detection, AI risk assessment, privacy-preserving technologies, bias mitigation, explainable AI and machine unlearning.
Among the flagship projects are Saakshya, jointly developed by IIT Jodhpur and IIT Madras for advanced deepfake detection, AI Vishleshak, aimed at identifying manipulated audio and video content, and IIT Kharagpur's Real-Time Voice Deepfake Detection System, which is designed to detect AI-generated voice impersonation.
Social media platforms face stricter compliance
In parallel, the government has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, introducing a much shorter compliance window for removing unlawful AI-generated or synthetic content.
Under the revised framework, intermediaries must remove or block access to such content within three hours of receiving a valid directive from the government or a court. Previously, platforms were allowed up to 36 hours to comply. The reduced timeline is intended to minimise the rapid spread of harmful digital content before it reaches a wider audience.
The updated regulations also require platforms to clearly identify AI-generated content that could mislead users into believing it is authentic. Once applied, AI labels and associated metadata must remain intact, allowing users to distinguish synthetic media from genuine content.
The strengthened rules further cover harmful material such as deepfakes, impersonation, non-consensual intimate imagery and child sexual abuse content. Platforms failing to comply with these obligations risk losing the legal protections available to intermediaries under the Information Technology Act.
IndiaAI Mission expands responsible AI ecosystem
The Responsible AI initiatives form part of the ₹10,371 crore IndiaAI Mission, which seeks to build indigenous AI capabilities across infrastructure, computing, research, innovation and governance. Beyond deepfake detection, the programme also supports multilingual AI development, AI safety research, startup funding, high-performance computing infrastructure and AI skill development.
As AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated, governments across the world are strengthening regulatory safeguards to reduce misuse. India's latest initiatives reflect an effort to balance technological innovation with accountability by encouraging responsible AI research while placing greater responsibility on digital platforms to prevent misinformation and AI-enabled abuse.
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