India’s new AI ad labels: what creators and brands now have to disclose

What was reported

• On 29 September 2026 the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released guidelines asking advertisers to label AI-generated images, video and audio when they could mislead a buyer. They take effect three months after publication, as MediaNama reported.
• Labels are needed for things like AI influencers and ambassadors, a real person’s face or voice cloned with consent, and demos of products that do not exist yet.
• Fake endorsements and testimonials, and deepfakes of someone without their consent, are banned whatever the label says.
• Routine edits such as colour correction, decorative backgrounds and AI-written ad copy do not need a label.
• Separately, India’s IT Rules have required large platforms to label realistic AI audio and video since 20 February 2026.

Why it matters for creators

Brands will ask creators which parts of a post were made with AI, and an AI-made testimonial can no longer be passed off as real. The creators who can show what is real, with proof a brand can check, are the ones brands will feel safe hiring.