[   PUBLIC RELEASE ]

Applied Policy Artificial Intelligence Council (APAiCouncil™)

Human Intelligence First

Terms of Service

Commercial and Non-Profit Users

Effective Date: May 17, 2026

Version 1.0

Jurisdiction: Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India

Registered Office: 

Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH), Tirupati Spoke, 

Airport Road, Renigunta, Choutur, Tirupati, India

Website: www.apaicouncil.org 

Contact: policy@apaicouncil.org

Document Title: Terms of Service – Commercial and Non-Profit Users

Applies To: All commercial entities, non-profit organizations, government bodies, academic institutions, research organizations, and any other organizational User accessing services that involve consultation, research submission, peer review, training, certification, or organizational engagement on www.apaicouncil.org.

Relationship to Universal Terms: These Terms supplement and operate alongside the Terms of Service – For All Users. In the event of conflict between provisions, the more specific provision in this document shall prevail for matters relating to commercial and non-profit organizational engagement.

By registering or using www.apaicouncil.org on behalf of any organization (commercial, non-profit, government, academic, or otherwise), you ("Organizational User") expressly represent and warrant that:

• You possess full legal authority to bind the organization to these Terms;

• The organization is duly registered, incorporated, or recognized under the applicable law of its jurisdiction;

• The organization is not subject to any sanctions, blacklists, or legal prohibitions that would render its engagement with APAiCouncil unlawful.

Any for-profit entity, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, sole proprietorship, or any other organization operated for commercial purposes, including but not limited to private enterprises, technology firms, consulting agencies, AI vendors, and commercial publishers.

Any entity organized and operated for non-profit purposes, including registered non-profit organizations, charitable trusts, Section 8 companies under the Companies Act, 2013, societies, NGOs, academic institutions, research foundations, multilateral organizations, intergovernmental bodies, and government departments or agencies.

Where an organization has both commercial and non-profit operations or activities, the User shall be classified according to the nature of the specific engagement with APAiCouncil. APAiCouncil reserves the right to determine User classification at its sole discretion based on documentary evidence.

Organizational Users may engage with APAiCouncil across the following service categories. Each category is subject to specific terms and conditions outlined herein:

• Consultation Services: Submission of AI governance, policy, or ethical questions for APAiCouncil review and structured feedback.

• Training and Certification: Formal credentialing programs for individuals nominated by the organization, including assessments and certificate issuance.

• Research Submission and Peer Review: Submission of original research, peer-review participation, and access to the research repository.

• Institutional Engagement: Partnerships, collaborations, joint publications, advisory engagements, and policy contributions.

• Funding and Sponsorship: Financial or in-kind contributions to APAiCouncil's mission, governed by separate funding agreements.

Commercial Users may be subject to service fees for consultation, training, certification, and other engagements. Fee schedules shall be communicated in writing prior to engagement. Payment terms, currency, taxes (including GST under Indian law where applicable), and refund conditions shall be specified in the applicable service agreement or invoice.

Commercial Users acknowledge and agree that:

1. APAiCouncil-issued materials, frameworks, training content, and certification credentials may not be repackaged, rebranded, resold, or commercially distributed without express written authorization from APAiCouncil;

2. Certifications issued to individuals are personal and may not be transferred between employees or attributed to the organization as a corporate credential;

3. Commercial use of APAiCouncil consultation outputs is permitted for the organization's internal AI governance, compliance, or policy purposes, but not for external commercial publication, sale, or licensing without authorization;

4. The APAiCouncil name, logo, or branding shall not be used to imply endorsement, certification, or partnership in any commercial product, service, or marketing material without prior written consent.

Commercial Users engaging in consultation, research submission, or peer review must disclose any material conflicts of interest, including:

• Financial relationships with AI vendors, developers, or affected parties;

• Pending litigation or regulatory proceedings involving AI systems;

• Direct commercial interest in the outcome of consultation or research.

APAiCouncil shall maintain reasonable confidentiality of proprietary and commercially sensitive information submitted by Commercial Users, subject to the following exceptions:

• Where disclosure is required by law, regulation, court order, or government request;

• Where the information becomes publicly available through no fault of APAiCouncil;

• Where the information was already known to APAiCouncil prior to submission;

• Where APAiCouncil is legally required to disclose the information in the public interest, including in the context of public consultation processes where the submission relates to government policy.

APAiCouncil may offer reduced or waived fees for non-profit, academic, and government users, subject to APAiCouncil's discretion and operational capacity. Fee determinations shall consider the User's organizational nature, the proposed engagement, available APAiCouncil resources, and mission alignment.

Non-Profit Users engaging with APAiCouncil acknowledge that their use shall be consistent with APAiCouncil's mission of promoting responsible AI governance and ethical AI deployment. APAiCouncil reserves the right to decline engagement that conflicts with its stated mission or values.

PUBLIC   ENGAGEMENT NOTICE:

All   government consultations, policy submissions, and engagements conducted   through the Website shall be treated as public unless a separate, written   confidentiality agreement is executed prior to engagement. Government Users   are advised that submissions may be published, cited, or referenced in   APAiCouncil's public reports and policy frameworks.

Academic and research institutions engaging with APAiCouncil for research submissions, peer review, or collaborative research must:

• Comply with the research and peer-review terms set forth in Section 7 of this document;

• Ensure proper institutional review (where applicable) for human subjects research, data ethics, and other regulated research activities;

• Provide accurate attribution and disclosure of co-authors, institutional affiliations, and funding sources;

• Acknowledge APAiCouncil appropriately in any publications or derivative works.

Where Organizational Users provide funding, grants, sponsorships, or other financial contributions to APAiCouncil, all transactions shall strictly comply with:

• Indian funding regulations, including the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA), the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Companies Act, 2013, as applicable;

• Funding laws of the contributing party's jurisdiction, including any sanctions, anti-money-laundering, and counter-terrorism financing requirements;

• APAiCouncil's internal financial governance policies, including conflict-of-interest, source-of-funds, and due-diligence requirements.

All funding contributors shall provide complete and accurate disclosure regarding the source of funds, beneficial ownership (where applicable), and the purpose of the contribution. APAiCouncil reserves the right to refuse or return any contribution that:

• Cannot be verified through reasonable due diligence;

• Originates from sanctioned entities or restricted jurisdictions;

• Conflicts with APAiCouncil's mission, ethics, or values;

• Carries conditions that compromise APAiCouncil's independence or impartiality.

Where funding is provided for a specific purpose (project-restricted or program-restricted), APAiCouncil shall use such funds only for the stated purpose. Reporting on the use of restricted funds shall be provided in accordance with applicable funding agreements.

APAiCouncil shall issue acknowledgments and, where applicable, tax-deduction certificates in accordance with Indian tax law. Foreign contributors are responsible for compliance with their own jurisdiction's tax and reporting requirements.

Organizational Users submitting research, white papers, or policy briefs to the Website represent and warrant that:

5. They hold all necessary intellectual property rights to submit the content;

6. The content is original or properly attributed, and free of plagiarism;

7. All co-authors and contributors have been disclosed and consent to submission;

8. The research complies with applicable ethical standards, including institutional review where required;

9. The content does not contain confidential third-party information, classified material, or unauthorized personal data.

By submitting research to the Website, the Organizational User:

• Retains copyright and intellectual property ownership in the original work;

• Grants APAiCouncil a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to host, display, archive, index, distribute, and reference the work on the Website and in APAiCouncil publications;

• Grants APAiCouncil the right to use excerpts, summaries, or citations from the work in APAiCouncil's policy publications, frameworks, training materials, and educational content, with appropriate attribution;

• Acknowledges that APAiCouncil may use the work as required by applicable law, including disclosure pursuant to legal process, government request, or court order.

FUTURE USE OF   SUBMITTED RESEARCH:

Where   legally required, or in the interest of public policy and AI governance,   APAiCouncil reserves the right to use, cite, or reference submitted research   in future reports, frameworks, and policy advisories, subject to proper   attribution and compliance with applicable law.

Peer reviewers (whether individuals or institutional representatives) agree to:

• Conduct reviews with integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality;

• Disclose any conflicts of interest prior to undertaking a review;

• Not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or organizational advantage;

• Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and review communications;

• Complete reviews within agreed timelines or notify APAiCouncil of any delays.

APAiCouncil retains sole editorial discretion regarding:

• Acceptance, rejection, or revision requests for submitted research;

• Selection of peer reviewers;

• Publication timelines and formats;

• Withdrawal or retraction of published works in cases of misconduct, error, or legal necessity.

Organizational Users may enrol individual employees, members, or representatives in APAiCouncil training and certification programs. The Organizational User shall:

• Ensure that nominated individuals are eligible and willing to participate;

• Comply with any prerequisite requirements;

• Ensure that nominees provide accurate personal information for registration;

• Not transfer or share enrolment credentials between individuals.

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, APAiCouncil shall issue formal certifications to the individual participant. Certifications:

• Are personal to the individual and not transferable to the organization or to other individuals;

• Carry an issuance date, validity period (if applicable), and a unique verification identifier;

• May be subject to continuing education requirements for renewal.

Organizational Users may, with consent of the certified individual:

• Reference the individual's certification in professional contexts;

• Include the certification in the individual's professional biography or organizational communications;

• Display the certification status, provided the representation is accurate and not misleading.

Organizations may not:

• Represent themselves as "APAiCouncil-certified" based on individual certifications;

• Use individual certifications to imply organizational endorsement, accreditation, or affiliation;

• Sell, license, or commercialize APAiCouncil training content or credentials.

Without prejudice to the limitations set out in the Terms of Service – For All Users, APAiCouncil's liability to Organizational Users for any claim arising under or related to these Terms shall not exceed:

• For Commercial Users: the total fees paid by the User to APAiCouncil in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim;

• For Non-Profit Users: a maximum of Indian Rupees Ten Thousand (INR 10,000), unless a separate written agreement specifies otherwise.

The Organizational User shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless APAiCouncil, its officers, directors, employees, advisors, and affiliates from and against any third-party claims, damages, or losses arising from:

• Inaccurate or unauthorized submissions by the Organizational User;

• Infringement of third-party intellectual property or contractual rights by the Organizational User;

• Breach of representations, warranties, or covenants under these Terms;

• Misuse of APAiCouncil credentials, content, or branding.

Organizational Users acknowledge that personal data submitted in connection with engagement (including individual nominee data, contact details, and consultation submissions) shall be processed in accordance with the Privacy Policyand the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). Organizational Users represent that they have lawful authority to share such personal data with APAiCouncil.

Where the engagement involves access to personal data of third parties, the Organizational User shall ensure that all necessary consents, notices, and lawful bases are obtained prior to sharing such data with APAiCouncil.

APAiCouncil may terminate or suspend an organizational engagement immediately upon written notice in the event of:

• Material breach of these Terms;

• Non-payment of agreed fees (for Commercial Users);

• Discovery of misrepresentation or fraud;

• Sanctions, regulatory action, or legal restrictions affecting the Organizational User;

• Conduct that materially damages APAiCouncil's mission, reputation, or operational integrity;

• Mutual agreement of the parties.

Upon termination:

• All access rights granted to the Organizational User shall cease immediately;

• Outstanding fees and obligations shall remain due and payable;

• Confidentiality obligations shall survive termination indefinitely;

• Submitted research and credentials issued prior to termination shall remain subject to their respective terms, except where retraction is warranted;

• APAiCouncil's right to retain records as required by law shall not be affected.

Organizational Users agree to comply with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, including the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (India), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (where applicable), the UK Bribery Act, 2010 (where applicable), and any equivalent law in the User's jurisdiction.

Neither party shall offer, promise, give, or accept any improper financial or other advantage in connection with the engagement.

For significant engagements (including funding agreements, partnership arrangements, custom research engagements, or large-scale training programs), the parties may enter into separate written agreements that supplement or supersede these Terms. In the event of conflict between a separate written agreement and these Terms, the separate written agreement shall prevail for the specific engagement.

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of India. Disputes shall be resolved as provided in Section 14 and Section 15 of the Terms of Service – For All Users, with exclusive jurisdiction vested in the competent courts at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

For commercial engagements with a value exceeding Indian Rupees Five Lakhs (INR 5,00,000), the parties may, by mutual written agreement, refer disputes to binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, with a sole arbitrator, seated in Tirupati, conducted in English.

For inquiries regarding commercial or non-profit engagement, custom service agreements, funding, or institutional partnerships:

Applied Policy Artificial Intelligence Council (APAiCouncil™)

Registered Office: Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH), Tirupati Spoke, Airport Road, Renigunta, Choutur, Tirupati, India

Policy and Partnerships: policy@apaicouncil.org

Legal and Compliance: legal@apaicouncil.org

Resources and Funding: airesources@apaicouncil.org

Website: www.apaicouncil.org

By engaging with APAiCouncil as a commercial or non-profit entity, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service – Commercial and Non-Profit, in addition to the Terms of Service – For All Users.

END OF TERMS OF SERVICE – COMMERCIAL AND NON-PROFIT