The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sought information from home-services platforms over their use of video and sensor data collected from gig workers to train physical AI systems. The ministry’s questions cover worker consent, the privacy of people recorded inside homes, data security and the possible transfer of Indian data to overseas developers.
According to an Economic Times report cited by Inc42, MeitY secretary S Krishnan chaired a meeting on Friday, 13 November 2026, involving senior representatives of quick home-services companies, robotics firms and other technology stakeholders. Pronto, Snabbit and Urban Company’s InstaHelp were among the platforms discussed.
Why household recordings are under scrutiny
Physical AI systems are designed to interpret and act in real-world environments. Data gathered while workers perform tasks in homes could therefore include more than information about the service itself. Recordings may capture residents, visitors, household layouts and everyday activities, raising questions about whether every person visible or audible in the data has been properly protected.
MeitY asked the companies to describe the standard operating procedures used to collect, process and retain these recordings. Officials also sought details of the safeguards used to obtain workers’ permission and to protect other individuals who might appear in footage or sensor records. The ministry’s approach, as reported, is focused on understanding existing practices rather than announcing a penalty or enforcement action.
Questions over overseas data transfers
The ministry also sought clarity on whether the information is being sold, shared or transferred to physical AI developers outside India. That question places data sovereignty alongside privacy and labour concerns, particularly as Indian service workers become a potential source of training material for robotics and other systems that operate in physical environments.
Pronto told Inc42 that it had taken part in the meeting as part of a wider industry consultation involving home-services platforms, robotics companies and other stakeholders. The company said the discussion enabled the ministry and participants to exchange views and share existing practices. MeitY asked Pronto to provide information on its data-collection methods and the procedures followed by the platform.
What MeitY has asked companies to clarify
- How video and sensor information is collected from gig workers during home-services assignments
- How workers give consent and how the privacy of residents or other people captured in recordings is protected
- Where the data is processed and stored, and whether it is sold, shared or transferred to overseas physical AI developers
The consultation comes as India’s physical AI data ecosystem develops around home services, robotics and other applications requiring machines to understand real-world activity. For users, the immediate issue is whether household recordings are collected transparently and handled with appropriate safeguards. For gig workers and platforms, MeitY’s questions indicate that consent procedures, retention practices and cross-border data flows are becoming central considerations in the deployment of such systems.
