India sets out a way to train AI on data that stays with its owner
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has published a handbook for "DEPA for AI Training", a framework under which hospitals, banks and other institutions let AI developers train models inside controlled computing environments, without handing their data over. It combines contractual permissions, privacy safeguards and a traceable record of where the data came from and how it was used.
Why it matters for UK companies: It's a government backing the idea that organisations can keep control of their records while AI developers train on them. Expect more controlled-access models like this alongside straightforward licences.
“the model travels to the data, rather than the data travelling to the model” (Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India)
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India, MeitY Launches DEPA for AI Training Handbook to Advance Trusted Data Collaboration for AI, 31 Oct 2026. Added 2 Nov 2026.