Accelerating Digital Data Protection: India's Push for Swift Compliance

The Indian government plans to potentially shorten the 18-month transition period for large companies to comply with new Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) rules. This comes as these companies already adhere to stringent data protection standards globally. Further amendments and consultations are ongoing to streamline the new framework's implementation.

The Indian government is engaging with industry stakeholders to possibly shorten the 18-month transition period for large companies under the new Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) rules. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that since many large firms already comply with international data standards, a quicker implementation in India is feasible.

Discussions have been positive, with the industry acknowledging the rationale behind the potential timeline compression. The data protection framework is crucial for safeguarding citizens' privacy and ensuring compliance through a comprehensive legal and regulatory structure, addressing issues such as disinformation and deepfakes.

The DPDP Act, along with its rules, enhances the RTI Act by offering citizens more rights to information, as emphasized by Vaishnaw. The Right to Information is strengthened through provisions allowing citizens access to data collected by tech companies, making transparency a cornerstone of the new digital policy.

(With inputs from agencies.)