IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (synthetic media labelling); India AI Governance Guidelines

Summary

India has no AI statute. On February 10, 2026, MeitY notified amendments to the IT Rules 2021 that bring synthetically generated information (deepfakes and other AI-generated audio-visual content) into intermediaries' due-diligence duties, effective February 20, 2026. Permitted synthetic content must carry prominent labels and permanent metadata or provenance markers; platforms offering such tools must use technical measures to prevent unlawful synthetic content; and intermediaries must act on government or court takedown orders within three hours instead of 36. On governance, MeitY announced in April 2026 that it had constituted the AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), an apex inter-ministerial body chaired by the IT minister and supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee, as recommended by India's AI Governance Guidelines.

Key dates

1. February 20, 2026Key date
2. October 16, 2026Checked against sources
3. October 21, 2026Checked against sources

Developments are added when the record is reviewed. Next review: October 16, 2027.

Evidence

Each passage is quoted from its source. The quoted passages are re-checked against the live pages every month.

1. On 10 February 2026, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (" MeitY ") notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

   Supports: Notification date and instrument

   ahead of the 20 February 2026 effective date

   Supports: Effective February 20, 2026

   Permitted SGI must be prominently labelled and embedded with permanent metadata or provenance markers

   Supports: Labelling and provenance duties

   Intermediaries must now act on government or court orders, including takedown orders, within three hours of receipt, compared to the earlier 36‑hour window under the IT Rules.

   Supports: Three-hour takedown

   India introduces mandatory labelling for AI and 3-hour takedown for illegal content Hogan Lovells Reporting or analysis

2. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, has constituted the AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG)

   Supports: AIGEG constituted

   It will be supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC)

   Supports: TPEC supports AIGEG

   16 APR 2026 8:21PM by PIB Delhi

   Supports: Release date

   Government Constitutes AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) Press Information Bureau, Government of India Primary source