Posted On:
31 OCT 2026 11:44AM by PIB Bengaluru
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, today launched the Handbook on Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) for AI Training at a high-level roundtable in Bengaluru. The Handbook was unveiled by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, with support from iSPIRT Foundation.
As AI becomes central to economic and social development, access to diverse, high-quality data is critical. Yet concerns around privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property and institutional control often limit data sharing. DEPA Training addresses these challenges through a techno-legal framework that enables purpose-bound data collaboration while allowing institutions to retain control over their data. The framework combines contractual permissions, controlled computing environments and privacy-enhancing safeguards. It also incorporates data provenance, enabling the origin, permissions and use of data to be traced throughout the training process, supporting accountability and transparency.
Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, emphasised: “India’s AI ambitions must be matched by the ability to use data responsibly and securely. The DEPA Training Framework enables trusted data collaboration at scale, unlocking access to large-scale datasets for AI training while safeguarding privacy, commercial confidentiality and institutional control. MeitY is fully committed to taking this framework forward to advance AI innovation in the country.”
The roundtable brought together representatives from government, industry, technology, academia, research and the media to discuss the role of trusted data collaboration in advancing AI innovation and public good.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, highlighted: “Under DEPA, the model travels to the data, rather than the data travelling to the model. This enables trusted, multi-party and cross-border data collaboration, accelerating scientific discovery and helping solve problems that no single institution can address alone. DEPA is India’s contribution to global science diplomacy, advancing the efforts of institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations to shape a more inclusive and responsible global AI ecosystem.”
Shri Sharad Sharma, Co-founder, iSPIRT Foundation, remarked: “Today marks the whole data economy (of many pillars) coming into place. This is easily a more significant moment since February 2016, when the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) was announced. India has the most distinctive, safe and flexible data economy in the world. Because of this, India now has a place in the AI stack like never before.”
Anjani Rathor, Group Head – Digital Banking and Customer Experience, HDFC Bank, noted: “Trusted data collaboration can unlock significant value for AI in banking. Our experience with DEPA Inference has demonstrated the promise of secure data collaboration. We see a compelling opportunity to build on this experience through DEPA Training.”
Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys and Chairman, Axilor Ventures, remarked: “India has an opportunity to lead in safe AI by enabling trusted access to data for research and innovation. DEPA Training can help researchers harness diverse datasets to develop more robust AI models, improve collaboration across multiple teams, and advance scientific discovery, while safeguarding the rights and interests of data custodians and contributors.”
The roundtable also featured a presentation on the DEPA Training Framework by Mr. Hari Subramanian, and perspectives from Shri Manav Garg, Executive Chairman, Emergent AI; Shri Ashwani Sharma, Sarvam; and Shri Adith Charlie, Managing Editor, YourStory. The proceedings concluded with an open discussion involving participants and observers.
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