India's amended IT Rules (G.S.R. 120(E)) have applied since 20 February 2026. They cover synthetically generated audio, image and video content that appears real, but not pure text or routine editing.
They require a prominent visible label, an audio announcement for sound, and permanent metadata with a unique identifier. Intermediaries that breach these duties lose their safe-harbour protection.
| Status | in force |
|---|---|
| Applies from | 20/02/2026 |
| Legal basis | Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 120(E) |
| Visible label | yes |
| Machine-readable | yes |
| Who is obliged | Providers, Platforms |
| Penalties | loss of safe-harbour protection for intermediaries (Section 79 IT Act) |
| Source quality | primary source |
Who is obliged
The Rules (G.S.R. 120(E) of 10 February 2026) address intermediaries, meaning services that can be used to create synthetic content and platforms that distribute it. Labels and metadata must not be removed; metadata is required where technically feasible (Rule 3(3)). Significant social media intermediaries obtain a declaration from users on whether content is synthetic, verify it technically and label accordingly (Rule 4(1A)).
What this means for EU retailers
- If you post AI images or videos on large social networks for Indian customers, you must declare them as synthetic there.
- Do not remove metadata, as platforms read it.
- In Google Merchant Center, labelled assets in campaigns targeting India receive visible overlays, see Google Merchant Center.
- Your EU label in the store fits India's "prominently visible" standard.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI text covered in India?
No, only audio, image and video content that appears real.
Is there a minimum label size?
The October 2025 draft proposed 10 % of the area. The final text dropped it and requires a prominently visible label.
Sources
Para. refers to the paragraph number in the European Commission's guidelines on Article 50, C(2026) 5054.
- India: IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2026Gazette of India 路 Law 路 10 Feb 2026
- India: MeitY FAQ on synthetically generated informationMinistry of Electronics and IT 路 Authority 路 10 Feb 2026
- Google Merchant Center: AI content label settings and disclosuresGoogle 路 Platform 路 3 Oct 2026
