Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday, said that global social media and streaming platforms, including Netflix, YouTube, Meta, and X, must operate within the constitutional framework of India.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said, “Whether it is Netflix, YouTube, Meta, or X, all must operate within the constitution of India.”
The minister further stressed the need for the multinational companies operating in India to understand the cultural context of the country. “A particular cultural context can make so much difference. Something normal in one country can be prohibited in another country… So it is very important for global firms to understand this,” he said.
The minister further stated that the government is planning to bring stronger regulations on deepfakes to protect society from their harm. “I think we need a stronger regulation on deepfakes. It is a problem growing day by day. We need to protect our society from this harm.”
#WATCH | दिल्ली: केंद्रीय मंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव ने AI इम्पैक्ट समिट पर कहा, “चाहे वह नेटफ्लिक्स हो, यूट्यूब हो, मेटा हो या X, सभी को भारत के संविधान के दायरे में काम करना होगा…” pic.twitter.com/5oI3aFI66Q
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) February 17, 2026
He said that a dialogue has already been initiated with the industry regarding this, and the government is contemplating what kind of regulation would be needed beyond the steps already taken. He also called for consensus within the Parliament for significantly stronger restrictions on deep fakes.
The Union Minister said that AI must be democratised and efforts must be made to try to bridge the AI divide. “We sincerely believe that AI must be democratised. We must consciously try to bridge the AI divide.”
India expects over USD 200 billion in investment in AI
Speaking about the ongoing India AI Impact Summit, the minister said that there is a huge response from all sections of society, especially young people, who have come to attend the summit in large numbers.
“I interacted with many startups, interacted with many students who have come from various colleges, some people have come from faraway places, from Odisha, from Madhya Pradesh, from Uttar Pradesh. We can see the interest of the global leaders, that’s visible,” he said.
Vaishnaw said that the government is expecting more than USD 200 billion in investment in the AI sector over the next couple of years. “We can see the investment opportunity that is today countable. It’s going to be probably over the next two years, more than 200 billion-dollar worth of investment is likely to come,” he said.