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India's IT Rules 2026

Since 20 February 2026, intermediaries whose tools make or change pictures, video or audio must label that content prominently and embed permanent metadata that identifies it. Send markets=in and every picture and clip gets both: the visible “AI” label, and signed Content Credentials naming your tool.

In short

  • Who: intermediaries that offer a tool for creating or changing synthetic content; large social media platforms have more duties.
  • When: since 20 February 2026.
  • What: a prominent visible label, or a spoken notice before synthetic audio; permanent metadata with a unique identifier of the tool that made it; nothing that lets users remove either.
  • Kennmarq.com: with markets=in, the visible label on every picture and clip, signed Content Credentials with unique IDs and your tool's name (app_name), a watermark, and a signed receipt.
Checked on 24 October 2026. This page explains what Kennmarq.com does; it isn't legal advice.

What the rules ask

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 120(E)), notified on 10 February 2026, cover “synthetically generated information”: content made or changed by a computer so that it looks real. An intermediary that offers a tool for it must:

  • label it prominently: visibly on pictures and video, with a spoken notice before audio;
  • embed permanent metadata or other provenance, as far as technically feasible, with a unique identifier of the tool;
  • not let users change, hide or remove the label or the metadata.

The draft of October 2025 asked for a label covering 10% of the picture; the notified rules ask for a prominent one instead.

What we add

  • The label: with markets=in, every picture and clip gets the visible “AI GENERATED” label (or “AI MODIFIED” for edits), drawn in before the watermark and signed, at size medium or large. It can't be turned off for India. See visible labels.
  • The metadata: the signed, time-stamped C2PA manifest carries the manifest's unique ID, your tool's name (app_name, required for India) and the time; the watermark in the pixels leads back to it when platforms strip the metadata.
  • The record: each file gets a signed receipt listing what it carries.
curl
curl https://api.kennmarq.com/v1/mark \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $KENNMARQ_API_KEY" \
  -F file=@render.png \
  -F source=created \
  -F app_name="Acme Studio" \
  -F markets=in \
  -o render.marked.png

Songs need a spoken notice, which we don't add yet: a song with markets=in is refused.

What stays with you

  • Being the intermediary that offers the tool.
  • Not letting your users remove or hide the label or the metadata, in your product and your terms.
  • Your other duties as an intermediary or platform: user declarations on large platforms, and takedown deadlines.

Sources