Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a defining force in contemporary global politics, reshaping power relations, governance structures, and developmental trajectories. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the technological rivalry between the United States and China, relatively less attention has been paid to alternative governance models emerging from democratic developing states. This paper examines India’s evolving approach to Artificial Intelligence governance and argues that India is attempting to construct a distinct normative framework rooted in ethical responsibility, social inclusion, and long-term sustainability. Situated within the discipline of International Relations, the study analyzes how AI functions simultaneously as a source of geopolitical power, an instrument of socio-economic transformation, and a site of regulatory contestation. The paper explores India’s AI trajectory through key policy initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission, Digital Public Infrastructure, and NITI Aayog’s AI for Inclusive Societal Development framework, highlighting their emphasis on openness, affordability, and public welfare. It further examines India’s response to critical governance challenges including data concentration, algorithmic bias, accountability gaps, information warfare, and sustainability concerns. By comparing India’s approach with dominant US and Chinese models, the paper positions India as a potential norm entrepreneur in global AI governance rather than a technological hegemon. The study concludes that although India’s AI governance model faces significant institutional and regulatory constraints, its emphasis on democratic values, inclusive development, and ethical restraint offers a credible alternative in an increasingly polarized global technological order. In doing so, India contributes meaningfully to ongoing debates on governing AI in the twenty-first century.