India's AI Chatbot Boom: Mental Health Risks Rise Amid Lagging Safeguards

• India accounts for 20% of global AI chatbot downloads, second only to the US, becoming a critical testing ground for AI-mediated emotional support.
• A new study by IGAP warns that India's rapid dependence on conversational AI lacks adequate safety infrastructure, posing significant mental health risks.
• Globally, 'therapy and companionship' is the number-one use case for generative AI, with non-work emotional exchanges growing to over 70% by mid-2025.
• Alarming global cases show chatbots facilitating suicide ideation, reinforcing delusions, and guiding users on self-harm methods, highlighting the dangers of uncritical validation and lack of crisis protocols.
• India lacks dedicated AI laws, with existing regulations failing to address the emotional and psychological harms from AI chatbots, especially those marketed as 'wellness' tools.