The Parliament Tracker: Parliament on AI (Part 1)
Parliament Tracker: Lok Sabha, June 2019 to April 2025
The Future of India Foundation’s Parliament Tracker, part of the Public Record series, provides ongoing analysis of parliamentary engagement on critical national issues—youth employment, women’s issues, Dalit and Adivasi concerns, and artificial intelligence.
Below is an analysis of parliamentary engagement on AI from June, 2019 to April, 2025. Find the methodology here.
To get a detailed overview of India’s AI strategy, read the Future of India Foundation’s report,"Governing AI in India: Why Strategy Must Precede Mission" which offers an evidence-based analysis of why India's current AI governance is not suited to support India’s leadership ambitions in AI — both because it fails to address then structural challenges required for India to move to the AI frontier and because it lacks the domestic democratic legitimacy needed to lead in forums like GPAI.
Download the full tracker here.
Lok Sabha Overview
Total Questions: 75,046
Questions on Artificial Intelligence (AI): 322
Only ~0.4% of the question focused on artificial intelligence.
Focus of Questions
Of the questions referencing AI, a third mentioned AI only in passing or as part of broader discussions, framing it as an add-on rather than the central concern.
Optimism - and diffidence - for AI Reflected in Question Themes
Questions skewed towards application and integration of AI (39.1%). Impact, strategy, and regulation—key democratic concerns drew less MP attention, suggesting an under-engagement with the issue of AI governance.
Though relatively fewer in number, the questions on the impact, strategy, and regulation of AI raised salient issues—ranging from the regulation of generative AI, ethical standards, and the applicability of existing legal frameworks, to issues of job displacement and upskilling. They also touched on India’s role in global initiatives like the Global Partnership on AI, as well as the timelines, budgets, and priorities under the IndiaAI Mission.
Sectoral Focus of Questions
Parliamentary questions on AI integration and application focused heavily on key public-facing sectors. The Healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector received significant attention, with MPs raising concerns about AI-driven research, diagnostics, and manufacturing. There was also notable interest in the use of AI in agriculture.
Increasing Engagement Over Time
Between June 2024 and April 2025, 34% of Lok Sabha MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha raised questions related to AI—an increase from 31% over the entire five-year term of the 17th Lok Sabha (June 2019 to June 2024). This reflects a slow but growing interest in AI within Parliament.
MPs Becoming More Cognizant of AI Regulation and Governance
Between the 17th and 18th Lok Sabhas, the number of unique MPs raising questions on AI regulation nearly doubled—from 22 to 40—reflecting growing parliamentary interest in the governance of AI. While the number of MPs inquiring about themes like application, skilling, and promotion of AI remained more or less consistent, the sharp rise in focus on regulation suggests that MPs are becoming more aware of the risks, ethical concerns, and policy gaps associated with the adoption of AI.
Which Ministries Received the Most Questions?
In the 18th Lok Sabha, parliamentary attention has broadened with more ministries receiving questions on AI as compared to the 17th Lok Sabha. A total of 41 ministries received questions in the 18th Lok Sabha as compared to 33 in the 17th Lok Sabha.
Combined over both terms, MeitY and the MSDE received the most questions. The prominence of MSDE suggests MPs were focused on upskilling the workforce as well as leveraging AI to improve training.
AI is Slowly Gaining Ground in Parliamentary Discourse
The Parliament’s engagement with AI has grown dramatically in both volume and breadth over the past few months. The number of AI-related questions began to rise modestly—though unevenly—in late 2022 and 2023, and saw a significant rise in 2025. This increase has not been driven by a small group of MPs alone. The number of unique MPs raising AI-related questions has also climbed, peaking at 110 in March 2025. This parallel growth in volume and participation suggests that MPs are coming to view AI as an increasingly relevant issue.
About the Parliament Tracker
The Future of India Foundation’s Parliament Tracker, part of the Public Record series, provides ongoing analysis of parliamentary engagement on critical national issues—youth employment, women’s issues, Dalit and Adivasi concerns, and artificial intelligence.
This edition covers the full term of the 17th Lok Sabha (2019–2024) as well as the first four sessions of the ongoing 18th Lok Sabha. Subsequent editions will track developments on a session-by-session basis.
Stay tuned for more insights like these.