India launches DEPA handbook to share data for AI training without giving the data away

India’s technology ministry has launched a new handbook to help hospitals, banks and other institutions share their data for training artificial intelligence (AI) models — without handing over the raw data itself.

The Handbook on Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) for AI Training was unveiled by IT Secretary S. Krishnan at a roundtable in Bengaluru, with support from the iSPIRT Foundation. It sets out a techno-legal framework for purpose-bound data sharing: contracts set the terms, models are trained inside controlled computing environments, and privacy safeguards and data provenance track where data came from and how it was used.

The idea, in the words of Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood, is that “the model travels to the data, rather than the data travelling to the model.” That means a bank or hospital can keep hold of its information while an AI developer still learns from it. The ministry said the approach could also support collaboration between different organisations and across borders. It is a handbook, not a law: it sets out a voluntary framework, and officials have not announced adoption dates or named the first users.

Why it matters

Good AI needs good data, but the most useful data — medical records, financial records — is also the most sensitive, so it often stays locked away. If DEPA works, Indian startups and researchers could train models on real Indian data instead of relying only on public or foreign datasets, while the institutions that hold the data keep control of it.

What happens next

The ministry said it is committed to taking the framework forward, but the next steps are not yet clear. Watch for pilot projects, named partners, and any move to give the framework legal force — those will show whether DEPA becomes a working system or stays a handbook on a shelf.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/meity-launches-depa-handbook-to-enable-secure-data-sharing-for-ai-training/article71648821.ece (The Hindu BusinessLine, 31 October 2026)
• https://yourstory.com/2026/10/meity-unveils-depa-handbook-to-enable-trusted-data-sharing-for-ai-training (YourStory, 31 October 2026)