Microsoft, AWS, Adobe Push for Copyright Clarity in India’s AI Framework

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry body representing global tech giants like Microsoft, AWS, Adobe, IBM,  Salesforce and SAP and others, has urged the Government of India to introduce a text and data mining (TDM) exception in copyright law, saying it is key to enabling responsible and competitive use of AI across industries.

In its latest report, Enterprise AI Adoption Agenda for India, BSA outlines a roadmap built on three pillars, Talent and Workforce, Infrastructure and Data, and Governance Frameworks, to accelerate enterprise AI adoption. 

Central to this is a push for legal clarity around the use of publicly available data for AI training, which is currently restricted under India’s copyright framework.

BSA argues that without the ability to mine and process data at scale, “India’s innovators risk losing ground to global peers.” The group says a TDM exception, already implemented in jurisdictions like the EU and Japan, would help India’s AI sector grow while ensuring respect for original content rights.

The call comes as India readies its Digital India Act and operationalises the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which lays out privacy safeguards for personal data processing. 

While the DPDP Act allows some scope for “legitimate uses,” BSA is urging the government to explicitly support data processing for AI training under the law—arguing that a clear, risk-based framework would balance innovation with privacy protection.

On governance, the alliance backs a whole-of-government approach to AI regulation and warns against fragmented policies across states. It also recommends aligning India’s AI rules with international frameworks through global initiatives such as the Hiroshima AI Process.

BSA further urged the government to expand cloud infrastructure, open access to non-sensitive government datasets, and adopt AI-enabled tools in public services, from smart cities to e-governance.