A coalition of global technology companies, including Microsoft, AWS, Adobe, IBM, Salesforce, and SAP, has urged the Government of India to introduce a Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception within the country’s copyright law. The proposal, led by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), seeks to create a legal framework that allows the use of publicly available data for AI model training while maintaining respect for content ownership.
In its report titled Enterprise AI Adoption Agenda for India, BSA outlined a roadmap based on three pillars — Talent and Workforce, Infrastructure and Data, and Governance Frameworks — to guide enterprise AI adoption. Central to the proposal is a call for legal clarity around AI data use, which remains restricted under India’s current copyright provisions.
“Without the ability to mine and process data at scale, India’s innovators risk losing ground to global peers,” the report noted, urging policymakers to adopt TDM provisions similar to those already in force in the European Union and Japan.
Balancing Innovation and Content Protection
India’s copyright law currently limits large-scale data mining, creating ambiguity for companies developing generative and enterprise AI models. BSA argues that a narrow, risk-based exemption could enable responsible data use for machine learning while ensuring that intellectual property rights remain protected.
The call for reform comes as India prepares to implement the Digital India Act and operationalise the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which establishes safeguards for the use of personal information. While the DPDP Act provides certain allowances for “legitimate uses,” it does not explicitly cover AI model training, leading to regulatory uncertainty.
BSA has also recommended that India adopt a whole-of-government approach to AI governance to prevent fragmented regulations across states. The alliance warned that inconsistent rules could slow innovation and complicate compliance for multinational and domestic enterprises operating across jurisdictions.
Toward a Globally Aligned AI Governance Model
In its policy recommendations, BSA emphasized that India’s AI regulatory framework should align with international standards such as the Hiroshima AI Process, which promotes interoperable governance and responsible AI deployment. The group also called for expanded cloud infrastructure, greater access to non-sensitive government datasets, and the adoption of AI-enabled tools in public services, from smart cities to e-governance.
The industry body said such reforms would position India as a competitive and ethical AI hub, capable of balancing innovation with accountability. Analysts note that clarity on copyright and data usage will be critical as India transitions from a user of AI technologies to a global contributor to AI development.
