In February 2026, the Asia AI4D Observatory: A policy and innovation network on responsible artificial intelligence was launched with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. LIRNEasia, East-West Management Institute, JustJobs Network, and EngageMedia, this three-year initiative will support Asia’s capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible (i.e., safe, rights-based, sustainable, inclusive, and context-appropriate) AI by generating actionable evidence, fostering regional learning and networks, and informing the development of inclusive AI policies and regulations across South and Southeast Asia. 
In February 2026, the Asia AI4D Observatory: A policy and innovation network on responsible artificial intelligence was launched with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. LIRNEasia, East-West Management Institute, JustJobs Network, and EngageMedia, this three-year initiative will support Asia’s capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible (i.e., safe, rights-based, sustainable, inclusive, and context-appropriate) AI by generating actionable evidence, fostering regional learning and networks, and informing the development of inclusive AI policies and regulations across South and Southeast Asia. 
On 6 November 2025, the Centre for Communication Governance (CCG) at National Law University Delhi hosted a hybrid, day-long event on “Operationalising AI Safety” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. LIRNEasia’s CEO, Helani Galpaya, was invited as a panellist to the main panel discussion, “Operationalising AI Safety”, which explored the conceptions of AI safety, what it involves, and how it can be operationalised, particularly through AISIs. 
The following document is a summary of an upcoming regional report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region. The broader report, to be released in April 2025 as the final output of a Global Center on AI Governance (GCG)-funded project, was authored by Merl Chandana and Sukitha Bandaranayake from LIRNEasia, with the India case study written by Anushka Jain and Aarushi Gupta (of Digital Futures Lab, India). Part II was co-authored by Merl Chandana, Sukitha Bandaranayake, and Ana Florido. The report containing global findings of the Index can be found here.