DPDPA: India’s Privacy Leap - Merits, Demerits & What Changes Next

DPDPA: India’s Privacy Leap - Merits, Demerits & What Changes Next

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023, makes a significant change to how organizations collect, process, and protect personal information. As companies prepare for phased compliance, here's a brief overview of what the law will bring.

Key Merits

  • Modern, rights?based data protection framework
    By aligning India with global standards like GDPR, DPDPA strengthens user rights across access, consent, and erasure.
  • Phased, practical implementation
    Core rules, consent management, and full compliance rollout over 18 months, giving businesses essential runway to adapt.
  • Clear consent architecture & dedicated protection for children
    It is important to provide structured notices, consent managers, and specific rules for children and people with disabilities to improve transparency and safety.

 

Demerits & Concerns

  • Broad government exemptions
    Section 18 provides significant government leeway, raising concerns about oversight neutrality.
  • High compliance burden for smaller businesses
    Data audits, retention schedules, consent UX, and governance mechanisms create cost and complexity.
  • Conflicts with sectoral regulations
    Banks and insurers struggle where the DPDPA’s deletion/minimization rules clash with RBI/IRDAI retention mandates.

 

How Tough Is Implementation?

The implementation process is challenging, especially for enterprises with legacy systems and fragmented data. Regulated industries remain slow due to evolving interpretations and multi?regulator dependencies.

The toughest areas include:

  • Consent redesign
  • Rights automation
  • Retention & deletion workflows
  • Logs & breach reporting
  • Children’s data compliance

 

What Will Change After DPDPA?

  • Greater user control - access, correction, erasure, and grievance rights become mainstream.
  • Privacy?by?design becomes mandatory - minimal data collection, purpose limitation, and lifecycle discipline.
  • Stronger accountability & enforcement - through the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI).
  • Organizations move toward global privacy maturity, aligning with GDPR?style governance models.

 

Final Takeaway

There is more to DPDPA than just compliance; it's India's push for a trustworthy, privacy-first digital economy. For businesses, it’s both a challenge and an opportunity: those who adapt early will gain user trust and a competitive edge.

 

By - Subhash Singh Punjabi
CISO & Head Enterprise Architecture
Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd.


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