In a world where technology increasingly shapes human experiences, ethical implementation of AI isn’t merely a compliance exercise—it’s a competitive imperative with deep cultural resonance in the Indian context.
The ancient concept of ‘dharma’—righteous conduct that sustains the natural order—offers a powerful metaphor for ethical AI implementation in marketing. Just as dharma is not merely a set of restrictions but a path to harmony and prosperity, ethical AI practices are not merely constraints but foundations for sustainable business success.
The intersection of innovation and ethics has become increasingly significant as AI reshapes India’s business landscape. With the AI market expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 27.67% between 2025 and 2030 and projected to add between $2.6 to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, the transformation of Indian business through AI seems inevitable. The critical question facing marketing leaders is no longer whether to adopt AI but how to do so responsibly.
The dual edge of AI in marketing
The efficiency gains of AI-powered marketing are undeniable. A 2023 McKinsey report indicates that 71% of organisations worldwide regularly use generative AI in at least one business function, with marketing and sales leading adoption. For Indian businesses operating across multiple languages and cultural contexts, these efficiency gains are particularly valuable.
Yet beneath the excitement lies growing concern. According to research by Sixth City Marketing, 60% of marketing professionals worry that AI-generated content could harm brand reputation through bias, plagiarism, or misalignment with brand values. These concerns resonate in India’s complex, diverse market, where cultural sensitivity is paramount.
The AI for India 2030 framework
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), which came into effect in 2023, has significant implications for AI marketing. The Act establishes requirements for explicit consent before collecting and processing personal data, rights for individuals to access, correct, and delete their personal data, and obligations for data fiduciaries to implement appropriate security safeguards. The DPDPA creates a framework that encourages ethical AI marketing practices. It encourages organisations to build trust with consumers —a critical foundation for effective marketing.
How Indian tech leaders are building ethical AI frameworks
TCS: Building ethical AI governance
By early 2024, TCS had more than 250 generative AI opportunities in its pipeline, demonstrating both the market demand and the company’s commitment to building AI capabilities. What makes TCS’s approach noteworthy is its emphasis on governance and ethics alongside technical capability. The company’s work with Azure OpenAI highlights how Indian firms partner with global technology providers while developing frameworks for responsible implementation that respect local contexts and values.
Tech Mahindra: Pioneering the AI ethics engineer role
Tech Mahindra was recognised as the ‘Best AI Company of the Year’ at the Global AI Summit & Award 2024 by AICRA. A critical component of its approach is the development of specialised roles focused on ethical implementation. As the company works with clients to transform business processes with AI, it emphasises the need for a framework that can “help organisations assess and define AI strategy and dimensions for enterprise AI adoption responsibly.” This focus on responsible adoption speaks to a growing recognition that ethical considerations must be built into AI systems from the ground up, rather than added as an afterthought.
Infosys: Building Topaz with ethics by design
The company’s Topaz generative AI capability set is gaining market traction, and Infosys is working with both proprietary and open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) to develop solutions that align with client values and needs. Infosys’s approach is particularly notable for its emphasis on what could be called ‘ethics by design’—building ethical considerations into AI solutions from the beginning, rather than treating them as compliance requirements to be met after development.
For Indian marketing leaders seeking to develop ethical AI practices, three strategic imperatives emerge from the examples set by these technology leaders and regulatory frameworks:
- Develop comprehensive AI governance frameworks: Smart Insights recommends that businesses “create an AI policy framework to provide guidelines on ethics, data privacy, security, and explainability of AI systems across the organisation.” This framework should address four key challenges identified by Implement AI: job displacement, data privacy, digital ethics, and security risks. A comprehensive governance framework should include clear guidelines on when and how AI can be used in marketing, processes for reviewing AI-generated content before publication, and mechanisms for addressing ethical concerns when they arise. Most importantly, it should involve stakeholders from across the organisation, not just technology teams but also marketing, legal, and business units.
- Implement transparency practices in consumer communication: The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) directive on labelling AI-generated content points to a broader trend towards transparency in AI use. For marketers, this means being open about when and how AI is used in customer communications. Transparency builds trust. Rather than hiding AI involvement, businesses should consider following the ECI’s lead by clearly disclosing when AI has generated or augmented content. This approach acknowledges consumers’ growing awareness of AI and respects their right to know how their content is created. Moreover, transparency can serve as a competitive differentiator. As consumers become more concerned about AI ethics, businesses that demonstrate responsible use through clear disclosure and ethical practices can build stronger customer relationships.
- Develop bias mitigation methodologies: Given India’s extraordinary diversity, addressing bias in AI marketing systems is particularly crucial. Developing robust methodologies for identifying and addressing biases in AI systems is essential. This includes creating diverse testing datasets that represent India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, establishing regular bias audits that evaluate AI systems across multiple demographic dimensions, and implementing ongoing monitoring of AI system outputs to detect emerging biases.
- Build ethical AI literacy across marketing teams: For AI marketing to be implemented ethically, it is essential that marketing teams understand the ethical considerations they raise. Smart Insights’ research shows that 78% of organisations worldwide use AI in at least one business function; significant variations exist in how effectively it’s implemented. Leading Indian technology firms are addressing this through massive investments in training. For marketing teams, AI literacy should go beyond technical skills to include ethical considerations and judgement development.
- Looking forward: India’s opportunity for ethical AI leadership: As the world’s largest democracy and a growing technology hub, India has a unique opportunity to lead in ethical AI implementation. The AI for India 2030 initiative emphasises ethical, inclusive and responsible AI adoption to position India as a global leader in AI innovation. While ethical AI implementation is often discussed as a risk mitigation strategy, Indian companies are discovering that it can also be a source of competitive advantage. For Indian marketing leaders, this creates both a responsibility and an opportunity. By developing AI marketing approaches that respect consumer privacy, enhance trust, and deliver measurable business results, they can help shape the future of marketing not just in India but globally.
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