India AI RulebookWhat isn't settled yet
A few items on this page are marked Confirmation pending. What’s pending
India's data-protection and AI rules are still being built. Most guides explain what the law says. This page tracks what it hasn't decided yet — the notifications, appointments, and court questions still open — and moves each one to 'Recently resolved' the day it lands.
Checked against primary sources where marked. Items marked Confirmation pending are not yet checked. See the list
Bookmark this page to see what's fixed and what's still moving, at a glance.
Confirmation pending — register
Last checked 1 Nov 2026 · next check 8 Nov 2026
Whether later instruments change commencement periods
whether later instruments change commencement periods
Ask a person to search eGazette Part II 3(i) and 3(ii), PIB and Parliament.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /this-week, /learn/data-privacy/dpdp-deadlines-2026-2027, /learn/data-privacy/consent-manager, /basics, /for/creators, /for/freelancers, /for/government, /for/hr, /for/marketing-agencies, /learn/data-privacy
Whether Board members and registration are available
whether board members and registration are available
Ask the Board or your lawyer for the appointment order and application route. Recruitment is not appointment.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /this-week, /learn/data-privacy/dpdp-deadlines-2026-2027, /learn/data-privacy/consent-manager, /basics, /for/creators, /for/freelancers, /for/government, /for/hr, /for/marketing-agencies, /learn/data-privacy, /government/data-breach-response, /learn/data-privacy/data-protection-board
Which notices apply under s.9(5), s.10(1), s.16(1), s.17(3), s.17(5)
which notices apply under s.9(5), s.10(1), s.16(1), s.17(3), s.17(5)
Ask your lawyer to check the actual notice and scope.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /for/founders, /for/education, /for/healthcare, /learn/data-privacy/childrens-data, /learn/data-privacy/cross-border-data-transfers
Hospital and state record periods
hospital and state record periods
Period: confirmation pending. Ask your customer’s doctor or lawyer which law applies.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /for/healthcare, /learn/data-privacy/retention-erasure, /learn/finance-fintech/recordkeeping-and-retention
The period in MCA’s Companies Act s.128(5)
the period in mca’s companies act s.128(5)
Period: confirmation pending. Ask your customer’s CA which law applies.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /for/ecommerce, /learn/data-privacy/retention-erasure, /learn/finance-fintech/recordkeeping-and-retention
The full Income-tax Act s.62 text
the full income-tax act s.62 text
Ask your customer’s CA which records and law apply. Opened Rule 46 is separate.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /for/ecommerce, /learn/data-privacy/retention-erasure, /learn/finance-fintech/recordkeeping-and-retention
Whether a statutory period for lawyers’ files applies
whether a statutory period for lawyers’ files applies
Period: confirmation pending. Ask your customer’s lawyer which law applies.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /for/saas
Whether BSA s.132 reaches independent vendor staff
whether bsa s.132 reaches independent vendor staff
Ask a practising DPDP lawyer for a written view.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-12-01
Pages: /for/saas
Whether an online platform is an educational institution
whether an online platform is an educational institution
Ask a practising DPDP lawyer to assess the Fourth Schedule scope.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-12-01
Pages: /for/saas, /for/education
The California statute text is not yet linked
the california statute text is not yet linked
Confirmation pending. Check the California statute text before relying on the thresholds.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /learn/going-global/india-vs-ccpa
Unmatched Telecom, Consumer Protection, BNS, RBI, PSS and CICRA citation identities
unmatched telecom, consumer protection, bns, rbi, pss and cicra citation identities
Ask the editor for a matched issuer copy before relying on a pointer.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /sources
Citation meaning or current status
citation meaning or current status
Ask the editor or your lawyer for the verified issuer copy and clause.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /sources, /glossary
Whether the current status of Startup and class exemptions — s.17(3), (5) is confirmed
whether the current status of startup and class exemptions — s.17(3), (5) is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Reported eighteen-to-twelve-month proposal is confirmed
whether the current status of reported eighteen-to-twelve-month proposal is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of March and April IT drafts — later notification check is confirmed
whether the current status of march and april it drafts — later notification check is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of October AI consultation — official paper check is confirmed
whether the current status of october ai consultation — official paper check is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Online Gaming Act, 2025: Act text and registration notices is confirmed
whether the current status of online gaming act, 2025: act text and registration notices is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Significant Data Fiduciary (SDF) designations is confirmed
whether the current status of significant data fiduciary (sdf) designations is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Lowered age for children's data (Section 9(5)) is confirmed
whether the current status of lowered age for children's data (section 9(5)) is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Section 16(1) restriction notification (cross-border transfers) is confirmed
whether the current status of section 16(1) restriction notification (cross-border transfers) is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Data Protection Board — current appointments unconfirmed is confirmed
whether the current status of data protection board — current appointments unconfirmed is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of New fraudulent-transaction framework for banks is confirmed
whether the current status of new fraudulent-transaction framework for banks is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of RBI Department of Supervision consolidation is confirmed
whether the current status of rbi department of supervision consolidation is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Draft PPI Directions, 2026 is confirmed
whether the current status of draft ppi directions, 2026 is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of RBI Draft Guidance on Regulatory Principles for Model Risk Management, 2026 is confirmed
whether the current status of rbi draft guidance on regulatory principles for model risk management, 2026 is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of SEBI — Advisory on Emerging Advanced AI Tools for Vulnerability Detection is confirmed
whether the current status of sebi — advisory on emerging advanced ai tools for vulnerability detection is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of A standalone AI law for India is confirmed
whether the current status of a standalone ai law for india is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Draft IT Rules Second Amendment, 2026 is confirmed
whether the current status of draft it rules second amendment, 2026 is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of Draft Regulations for Use of AI in Courts, 2026 is confirmed
whether the current status of draft regulations for use of ai in courts, 2026 is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Whether the current status of AI (Ethics and Accountability) Bill, 2025 is confirmed
whether the current status of ai (ethics and accountability) bill, 2025 is confirmed
Ask your lawyer or the editor to check the official text.
Owner: editor · Next check by: 2026-11-08
Pages: /pending, /regulatory-map
Confirmed = fixed and dated · Pending = government action awaited · Scheduled = dated, not yet live · Watch = dated future change, not yet in effect · Under challenge = before the courts, could change.
Startup and class exemptions — s.17(3), (5)
Pending- What it means
- Size alone is not an automatic exemption. Sections 17(3) and 17(5) permit notified exemptions. Targeted MeitY searches on 1 November 2026 did not establish an applicable notification; Gazette search failed. This limited check does not prove none exists.
- What to watch
- An actual Gazette notification and its precise scope.
Reported eighteen-to-twelve-month proposal
Watch- What it means
- The January 2026 proposal is reported, not confirmed. The opened Rule 1(3) and (4) retain one-year and eighteen-month periods after publication. No qualifying amendment was established by limited MeitY checks on 1 November 2026; Gazette search failed. No site date was changed.
- What to watch
- An actual amending instrument, not a consultation or news report.
March and April IT drafts — later notification check
Watch- What it means
- The draft source records remain separate from the February 2026 final amendment. Limited MeitY searches on 1 November 2026 did not establish later notification of the March or April drafts. The final February instrument is not evidence those later drafts became law.
- What to watch
- An actual notification matching each later draft, with any corrigendum.
October AI consultation — official paper check
Watch- What it means
- Reported, not confirmed. The official legacy consultation route returned only a path, not a readable paper, on 1 November 2026. Neither this nor limited MeitY/PIB coverage establishes whether an October paper exists.
- What to watch
- A readable official paper or consultation notice.
Online Gaming Act, 2025: Act text and registration notices
Pending- What it means
- The Online Gaming Rules, 2026 are in force from 1 May 2026. We have not yet opened the Act's own text, so its definition of an online money game is not quoted here. Registration of social games applies only if the government names a category in a notice (rule 12(1)).
- What to watch
- The Act's text on India Code or eGazette, and any notice naming social games that must register.
Full enforcement date
Confirmed- What it means
- The core obligations become enforceable on 13 May 2027 — 18 months after the DPDP Rules were notified on 13 November 2025. This is the one fixed date in the timeline.
- What to watch
- Two things. First, how we count the dates (see Methodology). Second, Section 1 of the Act lets the Central Government appoint different dates for different provisions — so this date can move by notification alone.
Significant Data Fiduciary (SDF) designations
Pending- What it means
- Section 10 lists factors for designating a Data Fiduciary or class as Significant. We did not establish a later designation notification in the limited official indexes opened on 1 November 2026. The absence of numeric thresholds alone does not prove that no designation exists.
- What to watch
- A government notification designating a Data Fiduciary or class under Section 10.
Lowered age for children's data (Section 9(5))
Pending- What it means
- Section 9(5) permits an age-related exemption for a Data Fiduciary whose processing is verifiably safe. Targeted official checks on 1 November 2026 did not establish a notification. Gazette coverage was incomplete; no claim that the power has never been used is made.
- What to watch
- A notification designating any Data Fiduciary under Section 9(5), and the age specified.
Read the children's-data explainer →
MeitY — DPDP Act (Gazette PDF)We opened this on 2026-11-01Section 16(1) restriction notification (cross-border transfers)
Pending- What it means
- Section 16(1) lets the government restrict transfers to a named country by notification. Rule 15 separately covers requirements for making data available to a foreign State. Our limited official-index check on 1 November 2026 did not establish the current restriction-notification position.
- What to watch
- A notification under Section 16(1) of the DPDP Act naming any restricted country.
DPDP Act, 2023 — Section 16(1) (restriction power)We opened this on 2026-11-01PIB — DPDP Rules notification (background)Data Protection Board — current appointments unconfirmed
Pending- What it means
- Earlier source record: the Board is established in law (DPDP Act s.18; G.S.R. 843(E)). As notified, it has a Chairperson and four Members, to be appointed through a Search-cum-Selection Committee (Government reply, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3960, 12 August 2026). The posts were advertised in Employment News on 6 June 2026. The reply does not report any appointment. We have not confirmed whether members have been appointed to the Board. Last verified check 6 October 2026. A limited official-index check on 1 November 2026 did not establish current appointments; current staffing remains unconfirmed.
- What to watch
- A Gazette or MeitY notification actually appointing the Chairperson or any Member. Nominations being invited is not an appointment.
Consent Manager regime
Scheduled- What it means
- Rule 4 registration provisions start on 13 November 2026. Section 6(9) requires Consent Managers to register. Whether registration will be available in practice remains unconfirmed.
- What to watch
- Registration opening and any operational guidelines.
Read the Consent Manager explainer →
DPDP Rules, 2025 — Rule 4 (Consent Manager registration)We opened this on 2026-11-01PIB — DPDP Rules notification (background)Constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court
Under challenge- What it means
- Writ petitions challenge parts of the DPDP Act — chiefly Section 44(3), which amended the RTI Act, plus Sections 17(1)(c), 17(2), 33(1) and 36, and Rules 17 and 23(2) of the DPDP Rules. On 16 February 2026 the Supreme Court issued notice, referred the questions to a larger bench, and declined to stay the framework. There is no stay — the DPDP framework operates as normal while this runs.
- What to watch
- The Union's counter-affidavit, and the next listing.
- 16 Feb 2026 — Notice issued; referred to a larger bench; interim stay refused.
- 7 Aug 2026 — Reported, not confirmed: a further hearing. We have not opened an order or cause list for it.
New fraudulent-transaction framework for banks
Watch- What it means
- RBI has published a framework on fraudulent electronic banking transactions. We have not read the final text, so we do not state its start date, limits or compensation amounts.
- What to watch
- The final Directions on rbi.org.in, opened and read.
RBI Department of Supervision consolidation
Watch- What it means
- After the Department of Regulation consolidated its circulars in November 2025, the Department of Supervision began the same exercise for supervisory instructions — organising them into entity-specific Directions covering functions such as the compliance function and concurrent audit. This is a second wave, separate from the November 2025 one.
- What to watch
- Which supervisory circulars are withdrawn, and what replaces them.
Draft PPI Directions, 2026
Watch- What it means
- The RBI published a draft replacement for the wallet rulebook on 22 April 2026, and took comments until 22 May 2026. It has not been finalised, so the Master Direction of 27 August 2021 is still the rule.
- What to watch
- Whether the draft is issued as final, and from what date.
RBI Draft Guidance on Regulatory Principles for Model Risk Management, 2026
Watch- What it means
- RBI's 24 June 2026 draft covers banks and other regulated firms, including NBFCs. Comments closed on 24 July 2026. We reopened the release and draft on 1 November 2026. Later finalisation was not established by the returned official index text. The opened draft itself creates no duty.
- What to watch
- Whether RBI issues the final guidance, and from what date.
SEBI — Advisory on Emerging Advanced AI Tools for Vulnerability Detection
Watch- What it means
- SEBI issued an advisory on 5 May 2026 about advanced AI tools used to find security weaknesses. The circular page has been verified, but the advisory PDF has not yet been read, so its exact requirements are not yet known.
- What to watch
- What the advisory requires, and whether it becomes a binding amendment.
A standalone AI law for India
Watch- What it means
- In November 2025 MeitY said a separate AI law was not needed. By mid-2026 that had shifted. The IT Minister said on 10 June 2026 that a new AI law is required, and press reports date a MeitY Secretary statement to early July 2026 (3 or 9 July) saying drafting would begin soon. There is no draft Bill, no consultation paper, and no timeline. Nothing binds anyone today.
- What to watch
- A draft AI Bill, a MeitY consultation paper on AI regulation, or Digital India Act text carrying AI provisions.
Read the AI Policy hub
Draft IT Rules Second Amendment, 2026
Watch- What it means
- MeitY published the first draft on 30 March 2026 and a further draft on 21 April 2026. The April proposal adds continuous label visibility in Rule 3(3)(a)(ii). Both opened drafts have blank Gazette and commencement fields. They do not create duties as drafts; later notification remains unconfirmed.
- What to watch
- Final notification, and what changes from the consultation draft.
Read the IT Rules 2026 explainer
Draft Regulations for Use of AI in Courts, 2026
Watch- What it means
- Reports say a Supreme Court committee published draft rules in June 2026 on how courts may use AI. We have not found the draft on the Supreme Court's website, so we do not describe its contents.
- What to watch
- Whether the Supreme Court publishes the draft or final rules on sci.gov.in.
Read the AI Policy hub
AI (Ethics and Accountability) Bill, 2025
Watch- What it means
- Reported to be a Private Member's Bill (a bill from an MP, not the government). Such bills rarely pass. It creates no obligation.
- What to watch
- Whether it is taken up for discussion at all.
Read the AI Policy hub
EDPB web scraping and anonymisation guidelines
Watch- What it means
- The EDPB adopted two draft guidelines on 7 July 2026: one on anonymisation, and one on web scraping for generative AI. Both are drafts, and both are open for comment until 30 October 2026.
- What to watch
- Final versions after the consultation closes on 30 October 2026.
Read the DPDP vs GDPR comparison
Recently resolved
DPDP Rules corrigenda — G.S.R. 892(E)
Source openedResolved 10 December 2025Opened on 1 November 2026. Eight corrections to G.S.R. 846(E), including Rule 1's words ‘in the Official Gazette’. The one-year and eighteen-month periods are unchanged by this corrigendum. The site's Rule 1 quotation now uses the corrected words. This is not proof that no later amendment exists.
Children's-data exemptions (Fourth Schedule)
ResolvedResolved 13 November 2025Notified as part of the DPDP Rules, 2025. Rule 12 and Fourth Schedule Parts A/B provide conditional exemptions from ss.9(1) and 9(3). Notified does not mean already started: Rule 1(4) starts Rule 12 eighteen months after publication. No separate exemption notification is needed for these listed classes and purposes.
MeitY — DPDP Rules, 2025 (Gazette PDF)We opened this on 2026-11-01
Last updated: 1 November 2026 · Written and edited by Sandesh Kokate
Educational only. Re-verify against the Gazette of India before relying on anything here.
Also watch: AI and copyright — DPIIT working paper (proposal, Part 2 pending)