The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) rules define the core principles for the lawful management of personal data. This includes collection, organisation, structuring, consultation, usage, restriction, erasure, and destruction of personal data. The data privacy principles generally include:
- Fairness, transparency, and lawfulness
- Purpose limitation
- Accuracy
- Accountability
- Storage limitation
- Data minimisation
- Data privacy and integrity
These datâ protection basics primarily apply to the data fiduciary, which the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) laws in India define as the “natural or legal person, agency or public authority that decides the purpose and means of processing the personal data.” Data fiduciaries must comply with these principles of DPDP, and should be able to demonstrate their compliance with the DPDP laws.
We have also done a detailed analysis of the DPDP rules that will help you quickly understand what’s happening in the space of privacy laws in India.
Why are the data protection principles Important?
These data principles are an integral part of the DPDP rules. These principles were established at the beginning of the legislation and it has its impact on all the provisions that follow. Therefore, compliance with these core principles is an essential building block for a solid data protection foundation. It is also extremely important for the compliance of any specific provisions with the DPDP rules.
As per the DPDP rules, in case an enterprise does not comply with the set privacy laws of India under the DPDP Act, a hefty penalty of 250 crore will be levied on them. We have covered the DPDP penalties and fines in depth in this article.
Read: Penalties Under DPDP: Fines, Breach Scenarios, and How to Reduce
Data Protection Principles that DPDP Rules display at their core
- Lawfulness, Consent, and Transparency
- Purpose Specification
- Data Minimisation
- Accuracy
- Storage Limitations
- Integrity and Confidentiality
- Accountability
According to section 4 of the DPDP rules, personal data should be processed only for lawful purposes and should have the consent of the user or under certain legitimate cases defined under section 7. According to sections 5 and 6 of the DPDP rules, the notice should be clear and accessible, describing what personal data is to be collected, the purpose of the collection of data, how the data principal can exercise their rights, and how they can lodge a complaint.
The consent received must be specific, free, informed, unambiguous, and should be signified by a clear affirmative action. This data protection law also specifies that the notices and consent requests must be available in English or other 22 languages present in the Eighth Schedule.
DPDP manifests fairness and lawfulness through clarity and accessibility across languages, full disclosure before the data is collected, the capability to revoke consent, and no bundled or concealed consent.
Also Read: The DPDP Compliance Checklist (2025): Step-by-Step Guide for Indian Businesses
The DPDP rules require the Data Fiduciaries to clearly specify the purpose of the data collection in the notice under section 5. Consent only covers the specific reason for which it is to be obtained as per section 6 of DPDP. These sections in the DPDP rules act as the backbone for limiting the purpose for which data is being collected.
According to the data privacy basics of DPDP rules, the personal data being obtained should be limited to the specific purpose. The data not necessary for the purpose should not be obtained. Under section 4(1) of the DPDP rules, only the personal data that is required for the purpose should be processed with proper consent provided voluntarily by the user. Unlike GDPR, it's not a standalone clause but is embedded in the “specific and necessary” consent requirement.
We have also done a detailed comparative analysis of DPDP vs GDPR. Give a complete read to understand the similarities and the differences between these two laws.
Under DPDP rules, Section 8(3) ensures that completeness, accuracy, and consistency are maintained whenever personal data is used to make a decision or disclosed to another fiduciary. Under section 12(1) of the DPDP rules, the data principals can correct the inaccurate data, request deletion, or update incomplete data. DPDP rules address accuracy through its right to correction and fiduciary obligations.
According to DPDP rules section 8(7), the data fiduciaries must erase the personal data as soon as the purpose for which it was collected is served. The data must not be retained unless it’s legally required. In case the data principle no longer engages with the prescribed period, the purpose for which the data was collected is no longer deemed served. Under section 6(6), once the consent is withdrawn, processing should stop unless it’s needed by law.
Under the DPDP rules of section 8(5), the data fiduciaries must ensure security safeguards in order to prevent loss, alteration, destruction, unauthorised processing, and accidental disclosure. Whenever there is a personal data breach, the board and the affected users (data principals) must be notified.
Accountability is covered across various DPDP obligations. The responsibility of the data fiduciary is to ensure that the data protection basics of the DPDP rules are adhered to and followed. Some of the significant duties as the data fiduciary are to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), a Data Auditor, and perform Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA), along with conducting periodic audits. DPDP embeds accountability through mandatory compliance checklists and verifiable consent obligations.
We have created a complete guide on the actionables for DPOs. Give read here.
Conclusion
Data protection requires a platform that can provide the data fiduciaries with a 360-degree view. Privy by IDfy is doing exactly that for some of the most trusted brands in India, like Axis Finance, Trustpais, and more. Privy, India’s first full-stack data privacy and governance platform, is here to make your DPDP journey smooth and easy.
Get in touch with us at shivani@idfy.com so that we can help you streamline your DPDP compliance journey.