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DPDP Act: Landmark data protection law expected by September 28
The government will notify its first comprehensive data privacy law, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, before September ends, with phased implementation and parallel AI development initiatives.
The DPDP Act, 2023 lays down a robust framework to protect individuals' data rights. (Image credits: Unsplash)
India’s long-awaited Digital Personal Data Protection Act is expected to be formally notified within days, clearing the way for enforcement of the country’s first comprehensive privacy framework, government officials said Thursday.
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the rules under the law had been finalized and would be made public before the end of September. He noted that the drafting process had been deliberate, involving extended consultations with industry groups, civil society, and sections of the press that had voiced concerns. Only after those issues were resolved, he said, did the government decide to move ahead.
S. Krishnan, secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said the final text was ready for publication, capping a long period of debate and drafting. Implementation, he added, would proceed in phases, consistent with earlier signals from the ministry.
Passed in 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act sets rules for the collection and processing of digital personal data, aiming to balance individual privacy rights with the need for lawful data use. The law is intended to foster a more secure and accountable digital environment, and the government has emphasized that awareness and capacity-building will be key to its rollout.
Vaishnaw made the announcement at the opening event of the AI Impact Summit 2026, where the government named eight entities selected under the IndiaAI Mission to build foundational large language models. Among them are Avataar AI, BharatGen — a consortium led by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay — Fractal Analytics, Tech Mahindra, Zeinteiq Aitech Innovations, Genloop Intelligence, NeuroDX, and Shodh AI.
The minister stressed that while large sovereign models would remain central to India’s AI strategy, smaller and more specialized models would also be essential. These, he said, could be designed for sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and material sciences, where tailored solutions may prove more effective than generalized systems.
Vaishnaw noted that India currently operates about 38,000 graphics processing units, with additional capacity expected to come online soon. He said the planned rollout of more than 500 Data and AI laboratories would help drive inclusive growth, broaden access to advanced technologies and position the country as a contender for global leadership in artificial intelligence and electronics.
The minister added that India would host the next edition of the AI Impact Summit in 2026, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slated to inaugurate the event and several heads of government expected to attend. He also emphasized that the national AI mission was making steady progress, with efforts now focused on extending AI capabilities to a range of sectors across the economy.
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