Hi, I'm Amlan! I lead public policy for Anthropic in India. My core areas of interest are privacy, platforms and artificial intelligence. I work with governments, businesses and civil society around the world. I enjoy spicy food, mellow music and the mountains.

Here's how I got to where I am…

When I was in high school, a close friend died in a car accident. To process my grief, I made a tribute video and uploaded it to YouTube. Within days it got thousands of views. And then, out of the blue, I received a copyright notice asking me to take it down. That incident, in many ways, set me on the path I'm on today.

After practising as a technology lawyer in Bangalore for a few years, I moved to New Delhi to engage directly with policymakers. I joined Google, where I managed policy issues across privacy, digital content and artificial intelligence. I learnt about LLMs from the people who invented them. And I witnessed the power of technology to radically improve people's lives, especially during COVID.

I wanted to develop an independent point of view. So I left Google and set up Qualia Consulting, exploring the geopolitics of technology, the intricacies of digital trust, and AI governance. For the last few years I've been writing research papers and speaking at global events, with affiliations at Carnegie India and the Centre for Responsible AI at IIT Madras.

In 2025, I was appointed a non-resident fellow at NITI Aayog — the Indian government's policy think tank. While there, I was the lead writer for India's AI governance guidelines.

When I get the chance, I teach at the National Law School in Bangalore. It is one of the most meaningful things I've done.

I now work at Anthropic, a frontier AI company that puts research and safety first. I think artificial intelligence is one of the most consequential technologies of our time, and I want to help make it go well.

Outside of work, I find joy in slow travel and spicy food, silent retreats, playing fetch with my dog, deep chats, stand-up comedy, and occasionally beating the drums.

Writing

Research & Policy Papers

India AI Governance Guidelines

MeitY · IndiaAI Mission · November 2025 · Lead Writer

India's official framework for safe and trusted AI adoption. The guidelines set out principles, recommendations and an action plan for governing AI across sectors — balancing innovation with accountability through a whole-of-government approach.

Governing AI Agents: Cascading Risks, Coordinated Action

Centre for Responsible AI, IIT Madras · March 2026

AI agents don't just generate content — they act, adapt and influence the world over extended time horizons. This paper introduces a "cascading risk" lens, showing how failures propagate from individuals to organisations to geopolitical systems, and argues that existing governance frameworks are structurally misaligned with agentic AI.

India's Advance on AI Regulation

Carnegie India · November 2024 · with Shatakratu Sahu

A comprehensive study of how India should regulate AI, drawing on perspectives from government, industry and civil society. It maps the current regulatory landscape and proposes a policy roadmap — including a "whole of government" model and an AI Safety Institute designed for India's unique needs.

Making AI Self-Regulation Work: Perspectives from India on Voluntary AI Risk Mitigation

Centre for Responsible AI, IIT Madras · 2025

Can voluntary commitments meaningfully reduce AI risk? This paper analyses stakeholder sentiment in India — where government sees self-regulation as a pro-innovation tool and civil society remains skeptical — and recommends a policy roadmap to make self-regulation credible and effective.

Essays

• Can ChatGPT Think?Techlawtopia
• Data after DeathTechlawtopia
• Why We Need a Global AI TreatyCarnegie
• Surveillance ApathyDown to Earth
• The Business Case for DPICarnegie India
• Copyright Exceptions for LearningSpicyIP

Life Lessons

• 30 Things I Learnt at 30
• My Morning RoutineMedium
• Gut Instinct
• Lessons from My Wise FatherMedium
• My Work SetupWorkspaces
• Reflections on Vietnam — A Photo EssayMedium

Reading

Some of my favourite books.

Philosophy & Meditation

Self Improvement

Technology & Policy

Relationships

Contact

The best way to reach me is on LinkedIn. You can also email me at: mohanty.amlan [at] gmail [dot] com (unfortunately, I won't be able to reply to every email I get).