India Balances Crypto Regulation with AI-Driven Innovation at Blockchain Summit

India Blockchain Month (INBM) 2025, held in New Delhi from September 25–26, 2025, has emerged as a pivotal event for Web3 innovation, regulatory dialogue, and AI integration. Organized by BlockOn Ventures and Web3preneur, the two-day summit convened over 250 partners, including 100+ Web3 communities and 100+ media outlets, to accelerate India’s position in the global digital asset economy. The event coincided with ETHGlobal Delhi Week, creating a concentrated hub for developers, policymakers, and investors to address key challenges and opportunities in the blockchain and AI landscape .

A central focus of INBM 2025 was the “Regulatory Roundtable,” which brought together industry leaders and policymakers to discuss India’s evolving crypto regulatory framework. The discussions aligned with recent government updates, including the revised 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) rule with a ₹50,000 annual exemption for small investors and the classification of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) into utility and security tokens. These changes aim to foster compliance while encouraging grassroots participation in the crypto ecosystem . Additionally, the Reserve Bank of India’s Blockchain Sandbox 2.0, launched in 2025, supports compliant DeFi, stablecoin, and CBDC pilots, signaling a shift toward structured innovation .

The event highlighted India’s growing AI adoption, which reached 30% in 2025, surpassing the global average of 26%. This growth is driven by government initiatives like NITI Aayog’s AIforAll strategy and the Digital India program, which prioritize AI integration in healthcare, education, and smart cities. The BCG 2025 Global AI Adoption Report noted that India’s AI maturity, particularly in the private sector, positions it as a leader in deploying AI for real-world applications . At INBM, AI’s convergence with blockchain was a recurring theme, with speakers emphasizing how decentralized infrastructure could enhance data sovereignty and trust in AI-driven systems .

Keynote addresses from industry leaders underscored the urgency of regulatory clarity. Dilip Chenoy, Chairman of the Bharat Web3 Association, stressed the need for a “pro-innovation” framework to attract global investment and talent. Similarly, Raj Kapoor of the India Blockchain Alliance highlighted the importance of balancing oversight with flexibility to avoid stifling innovation. The roundtable also addressed the Digital Asset Basic Act, expected to provide a comprehensive legal structure for crypto assets in 2025 .

The summit’s agenda extended beyond regulation, featuring discussions on Real-World Assets (RWAs) and their tokenization. With India’s digital infrastructure—exemplified by UPI’s 4.5 billion monthly transactions—providing a foundation for Web3 adoption, speakers explored how blockchain could streamline asset management in sectors like real estate and supply chain logistics. The event’s emphasis on community-driven innovation reflected India’s unique ecosystem, where grassroots adoption and institutional support coexist .

India Blockchain Month 2025 concluded with a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate on shaping a regulatory environment that aligns with India’s technological ambitions. As the country navigates the intersection of AI, blockchain, and policy, the event reinforced its potential to become a global leader in decentralized innovation. With over 250 partners and a unified vision for Bharat’s digital future, INBM 2025 set the stage for sustained growth in the Web3 and AI sectors .