Purnima Rohilla

About me

I'm a doctoral candidate at IIT Bombay, specializing in the intersection of AI governance, public policy, and standardization. My research investigates how AI trustworthiness is constructed and institutionalized across global policy, regulatory, and technical communities. Using frameworks like the Narrative Policy Framework and critical discourse analysis, I examine how narratives of trust shape standards, risk governance, and the social legitimacy of AI—particularly in high-stakes contexts such as public services, safety, and accountability.

I collaborate with standard-setting bodies such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to study how global norms for responsible and trustworthy AI are being codified. My work bridges regulatory foresight, socio-technical governance, and strategic communication, offering insight for tech teams focused on responsible AI, trust & safety, global compliance, and AI policy strategy.

Research Interests

Education

• Ph.D. in Public Policy, IIT Bombay (2023–present)
  My research explores how AI trust is narrated in global public discourse. Using discourse analysis and the Narrative Policy Framework, I examine policy texts, media, and standards to understand how institutional narratives shape public perception and governance of AI.
  Supervised by: Prof. Anupam Guha


• Master’s in Public Policy, IIT Bombay (2021–2023)
  Explored the role of emerging trustworthiness standards and quality frameworks in public service delivery.
  Supervised by: Prof. Sundeep Oberoi


• Integrated M.Sc. in Economics, Central University of Tamil Nadu (2014–2019)

Experience

• Teaching Assistant, IIT Bombay (2023–present)
  Courses:
  • PS 657: Cybersecurity Governance and Management – Policy Considerations (Spring 2025)
  • PS 643: Introduction to AI, Data, and Policy (Autumn 2024, Autumn 2023)
  • PS 643: Advanced Topics in AI, Data and Policy (Spring 2024)
• Research Intern, Bureau of Indian Standards (2022)
• Policy Fellow, H21 Foundation (2021)
• Business Analyst, Evalueserve Pvt Ltd (2019–2021)

Research & Publications

1. Rohilla, P., & Guha, A. (2025). The Language of Trust: Investigating the Framing of Trustworthy AI by Big Tech. (Manuscript under review at Nature Machine Intelligence).
2. Oberoi, S., Rohilla, P., & Lakshmi, S. (2023). The Indian DPDP Act 2023 – Analysis and Implementation Challenge. IIPA Digest, 5(4).
3. Kayal, P., & Rohilla, P. (2021). Bitcoin in the economics and finance literature: a survey. SN Business & Economics, 1(7), 88.

Certifications

• AI for Business Specialisation — University of Pennsylvania (2023)
• Python Basics for Data Science — IBM (2023)
• Ethics in AI and Data Science — The Linux Foundation (2022)
• Public Policy Analysis — Udemy (2021)

Languages

English (Proficient), Hindi (Native)

Curriculum Vitae

You can also download it here: Download CV (PDF)