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Key developments: Recent high‑court injunctions in Delhi and Bombay have begun treating a celebrity’s voice as a protected element of personality rights. Since 2022, courts have listed voice among the attributes that cannot be used without consent, and in 2024‑25 they specifically restrained AI platforms that cloned the voices of singers Arijit Singh and Asha Bhosle. The Bombay High Court’s Arijit Singh v Codible Ventures LLP decision explicitly recognised voice, vocal style, and even manner of singing as protectable under personality and publicity rights, while the Delhi High Court’s Anil Kapoor ruling linked AI‑generated deepfakes to privacy and dignity claims.
Why it matters: These rulings signal that Indian law can block commercial or misleading AI‑generated reproductions of a famous person’s voice, even though there is no statutory ownership of a voice. The approach limits AI firms from deploying voice‑cloning tools without clear permission, curbing potential misuse in advertising, entertainment, and political propaganda. However, the protection currently hinges on celebrity status and lacks clear limits for parody, mimicry, or non‑celebrity individuals.
What to watch next: Courts have yet to deliver a final judgment on the broader legality of voice cloning, and the “celebrity threshold” remains unsettled. Future cases will likely address whether ordinary individuals can claim similar rights, how exceptions for satire will be handled, and whether legislation will codify personality rights for AI‑generated content. Monitoring upcoming high‑court decisions and any statutory reforms will be crucial for AI developers, media companies, and creators operating in India. [[1, 2]]