Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is India’s primary data protection legislation governing the processing of digital personal data. It applies to personal data collected online, as well as offline data that is subsequently digitised.

The Act also has extraterritorial applicability and covers organisations located outside India if they offer goods or services to individuals within India. At its core, the DPDP Act focuses on lawful and purpose-limited data processing, verifiable consent, strong data protection safeguards, and clear accountability of organisations classified as Data Fiduciaries.

DPDP compliance extends far beyond IT or legal teams. It impacts how personal data flows across the organisation, from collection and consent to storage, sharing, and deletion.The scope typically includes consent management, privacy notices, data security controls, vendor and third-party data sharing, breach response processes, user rights handling, and internal governance mechanisms. Any organisation that processes customer, employee, vendor, or user data must evaluate its DPDP exposure and compliance posture.

The DPDP Act applies to a wide range of organisations, including startups and MSMEs, fintech and SaaS companies, e-commerce platforms, banks and NBFCs, healthcare and education platforms, and global companies processing Indian personal data.Certain organisations may also be designated as Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs), which brings additional compliance obligations related to governance, audits, and risk management.

DPDP compliance is not a one-time documentation exercise. It requires a combination of governance, process design, and technical controls that can withstand regulatory scrutiny.Our DPDP compliance approach begins with applicability analysis and gap assessment, followed by data mapping and flow analysis. We help align consent mechanisms and privacy notices, assess data protection risks, review security and access controls, evaluate third-party data sharing, and establish incident and breach response readiness. Ongoing advisory support ensures compliance remains effective as regulations and business operations evolve.Our focus is always on practical implementation, not theoretical compliance.