AI regulation in South Asia

India DPDP Act

Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025

The DPDP Act is India's cross-sector personal-data law. It applies to digital personal data processed in India and to processing outside India connected with offering goods or services to people in India. It requires a lawful basis (consent or specified legitimate uses), notice, purpose limitation, data accuracy, security safeguards, breach notification to the Data Protection Board and affected individuals, and grants rights of access, correction, erasure and grievance redress. Significant Data Fiduciaries face extra duties such as impact assessments and audits. The Act does not mention AI specifically, but it governs the personal data used to train and operate AI systems.

Nepal Privacy Act 2075

Individual Privacy Act, 2075 (2018) — Nepal

The Individual Privacy Act 2075 gives effect to the constitutional right to privacy in Nepal. It regulates the collection, storage, processing, use and disclosure of personal information by public bodies and private entities, requires consent for collection and use of personal data subject to exceptions, restricts sensitive data, and provides remedies and penalties. It is the main binding law affecting AI systems that process personal data in Nepal. The Individual Privacy Regulation 2077 (2020) provides implementing rules.

Concept Paper on the Use and Practice of Artificial Intelligence in Nepal

A concept paper prepared by a ministry-appointed committee that surveys the state of AI use in Nepal, its opportunities and risks, and the gaps in existing law and infrastructure. It recommends formulating a national AI policy and strategy, addressing data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, and building governance structures. The paper was published for public suggestions and is cited in the 2025 policy as its precursor.

India AI Governance Guidelines

India AI Governance Guidelines (MeitY, 2025)

The India AI Governance Guidelines set out a principle-based, pro-innovation approach to governing AI in India. They articulate guiding principles (such as trust, people-first design, fairness, accountability, safety and transparency), propose an institutional framework including an AI governance group and an AI Safety Institute role, favour applying existing laws over a new AI statute, and recommend voluntary commitments, techno-legal measures, risk-based oversight and incident reporting for AI systems.

IndiaAI Mission

A five-year national programme approved by the Union Cabinet with an outlay of about INR 10,372 crore. It funds shared public AI compute (10,000+ GPUs), an innovation centre for indigenous foundation models, a datasets platform, application development for public problems, skilling programmes, startup financing and work on safe and trusted AI. Implementation is handled by the IndiaAI division of Digital India Corporation.

Nepal National AI Policy

National Artificial Intelligence Policy, 2082 (2025) — Nepal

Nepal's National AI Policy sets the government's direction for developing and using artificial intelligence. Based on the published summaries, it aims to build AI infrastructure and skills, promote ethical and responsible AI, strengthen data governance, establish institutional arrangements for AI oversight, and prepare legal and regulatory measures. It is a policy framework, not a law, and does not itself create enforceable obligations on private organisations.

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (#AIforAll)

A discussion paper that set out India's first national approach to artificial intelligence. It prioritises five sectors (healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility) and proposes research institutions, data ecosystems and skilling measures to support adoption. It also flags privacy, fairness and explainability as issues needing attention and recommends institutional structures for responsible AI.