Key Points
- AIGEG will assess AI impact on jobs and develop transition plans for affected workers
- Ashwini Vaishnaw to chair the inter-ministerial body with secretaries from six departments
- Group will classify AI use cases as deploy, pilot or defer based on readiness
The Centre has set up a high-level body to assess how artificial intelligence will affect Indian jobs and frame a national governance strategy, according to an official order dated 13 April.
The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), constituted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), will coordinate AI policy across government departments. It will also study which job profiles face the highest risk of automation and prepare transition plans for affected workers.
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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will chair the body. Minister of State Jitin Prasada will serve as vice chairperson.
The AIGEG gives formal effect to recommendations in India’s AI Governance Guidelines and the Economic Survey. The guidelines had called for an inter-ministerial body, a committee that brings together multiple ministries, to adopt a unified approach to AI governance.
The Economic Survey had separately flagged the need for a coordinating authority. It said such a body should align AI deployment with labour market realities and social stability priorities.
India’s technology sector has seen rapid AI adoption over the past two years. Large language models, the technology behind tools such as ChatGPT, now power applications across banking, healthcare, customer service and legal research. This adoption has raised questions about job displacement, regulatory gaps and accountability when AI systems fail.
Who sits on the AI governance body
The AIGEG brings together senior officials from across the government. Members include the Principal Scientific Adviser, the Chief Economic Adviser, the CEO of NITI Aayog and the Secretaries of Telecommunications, Economic Affairs and Science and Technology.
A representative of the National Security Council Secretariat will also sit on the body. The Secretary of MeitY will serve as member convenor, the official responsible for organising meetings and coordinating work.
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The AIGEG has a broad mandate covering policy, regulation and economic assessment.
On the policy side, it will coordinate AI governance across ministries, departments and sectoral regulators. It will review existing mechanisms and issue guidelines to ensure companies comply with local laws.
The body will oversee AI initiatives in both the public and private sectors. It will study emerging risks, identify regulatory gaps and examine whether existing laws need amendment.
MeitY said the group will also develop India’s position on AI governance for international forums.
One of the AIGEG’s key tasks is preparing a ten-year roadmap for AI deployment in India.
The roadmap will assess which job profiles are most likely to face disruption. It will examine the geographical concentration of these impacts, identifying whether certain cities or regions face higher risk than others.
The group will classify AI use cases into three categories: deploy, pilot and defer. This classification will depend on readiness in terms of data availability, workforce skills, legal frameworks and capacity to support workers who need to transition to new roles.
Labour market assessment
The AIGEG has been tasked with assessing labour market impacts before AI adoption spreads further.
It will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans. These will account for India’s informal workforce, the diversity of skill levels across the economy and variations between different states and regions.
India’s labour market differs significantly from Western economies. A large share of workers hold informal jobs without written contracts or social security coverage. Any AI governance framework will need to address this reality.
A Technology and Policy Expert Committee will support the AIGEG.
This committee will advise on global developments, emerging technologies, risks and regulatory approaches. It will track evolving priorities in AI policy and governance worldwide.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the AI Governance and Economic Group?
AIGEG is a high-level inter-ministerial body set up by MeitY to coordinate AI policy across government departments, assess the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and frame India’s national AI governance strategy.
Who will lead the AIGEG?
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will chair the body. Minister of State Jitin Prasada will serve as vice chairperson. Members include the Principal Scientific Adviser, Chief Economic Adviser and secretaries from multiple departments.
How will the AIGEG assess AI impact on jobs?
The body will identify job profiles likely to face automation, examine geographical concentration of impacts and develop transition plans accounting for India’s informal workforce and regional skill variations.
What does deploy, pilot and defer classification mean for AI?
The AIGEG will classify AI use cases based on readiness. Deploy means ready for adoption. Pilot means limited testing is needed. Defer means the legal framework, data or workforce skills are not yet adequate.