DPIIT extends consultation on generative AI–copyright framework till February 6

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has extended the public consultation period on its proposed policy framework examining the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law by another 30 days, allowing stakeholders to submit their responses until February 6, 2026, according to officials aware of the development.

The consultation window was originally set for 30 days beginning December 9, 2025, following the publication of Part I of a working paper outlining the government’s preliminary thinking on how existing copyright law applies to the training and commercial deployment of generative AI models. With the extension, DPIIT has signalled the need for wider industry and creator participation on an issue that has implications for India’s digital economy, creative industries and emerging AI ecosystem.

The working paper captures the recommendations of an eight-member committee constituted by DPIIT on April 28, 2025, tasked with assessing whether the current legal framework is adequate to address copyright issues arising from generative AI technologies and to suggest amendments, if required.

According to the paper, the committee examined multiple global policy approaches, including blanket exemptions, text and data mining (TDM) exceptions with or without opt-out provisions, voluntary licensing, and extended collective licensing models. However, the committee flagged “suitability concerns” with each of these mechanisms in the Indian context, citing challenges related to enforcement, transaction costs, legal uncertainty and the potential imbalance between creators’ rights and technological innovation.

In particular, the committee rejected the zero-price licence model, arguing that permitting AI developers to freely use copyrighted works without compensation would undermine incentives for human creativity and could result in the long-term underproduction of human-generated content.

As an alternative, the committee proposed a hybrid licensing framework aimed at balancing the interests of content creators and AI developers. Under this model, AI developers would receive a blanket licence to use all lawfully accessed content for training purposes without the need for individual negotiations with rights holders. However, royalty obligations would be triggered only at the stage of commercialisation of AI tools.

The proposed framework also envisages that royalty rates would be determined by a government-appointed committee, with such rates remaining subject to judicial review. A centralised royalty collection and distribution mechanism would handle payments, with the stated objective of reducing transaction costs, providing legal certainty, and ensuring equitable access for both large and small AI developers.

The working paper notes that Dr. Raghavender G R made a valuable contribution to the process, with his support being instrumental in the preparation of the document. D. Sripriya, Kushal Wadhawan, and Priyanka Arora also assisted the committee members in compiling the paper.

Industry stakeholders, creators, technology companies and legal experts are now expected to use the extended consultation period to submit detailed feedback, which will inform the next phase of policy development on AI and copyright in India.