Is it legal to clone a voice for AI calls in India?

What the law says

India has no statute dedicated to voice cloning. Protection comes from personality rights developed by the courts. The Delhi High Court has protected actors such as Anil Kapoor against unauthorised commercial use of their persona, and in 2024 the Bombay High Court restrained platforms from cloning singer Arijit Singh's voice with AI tools. A voice is treated as part of a person's identity that others cannot exploit commercially without permission.

Criminal law adds a backstop: using a computer resource to cheat by impersonating someone is an offence under Section 66D of the IT Act 2000. Under the DPDP Act 2023, a voice recording used to build a clone is personal data, and using it for that purpose needs consent.

Safe practice for a business

• —Use stock or synthetic voices that do not imitate a real, identifiable person.
• —If you clone an employee's or founder's voice, get written consent covering commercial calling, the duration and what happens when they leave.
• —Never imitate a celebrity, politician or a competitor's spokesperson.
• —Do not let the agent claim to be the person whose voice it uses.

Why this matters for trust

Voice-cloning scams, in which fraudsters imitate a relative or a bank officer, are increasingly reported in India. Customers are wary, and a business voice that sounds like a known person can backfire quickly. A clearly branded voice with an honest introduction avoids the problem.

How Outpero fits

Outpero offers ready voices across two tiers, Standard at ₹5 per minute and Premium, our most lifelike voices, at ₹6.8 per minute. Choosing one of these keeps a business clear of cloning consent questions.