India's Data Protection Revolution: A New Era for Privacy Compliance

India's new data protection norms are set to prioritize data mapping, with a focus on consent-based frameworks. Companies will face engineering and legal challenges in integrating these rules into their systems. The newly-notified Digital Personal Data Protection rules will shift privacy culture and compliance in India.

India's newly-implemented data protection norms are prompting companies to focus on data mapping and assessing current datasets, according to Vikram Jeet Singh, Partner at BTG Advaya. Speaking on Wednesday, Singh emphasized that the shift to a consent-based framework involves re-engineering systems and processes as much as it does navigating legal nuances.

In light of speculations about a possible acceleration in the implementation timeline, Singh noted that extended timeframes would prove beneficial for businesses. He pointed out that India does not yet have a deeply ingrained culture of privacy, often sidelining data privacy as an afterthought.

The Digital Personal Data Protection rules will compel companies to scrutinize the datasets they possess, understand who accesses them, and identify the sensitive nature of the information. Companies will need to embed consent into design systems, tackling both engineering and legal aspects to ensure compliance without causing user consent fatigue. Singh's comments came during a webinar on the DPDP Rules 2025, organized by The Dialogue think tank.

(With inputs from agencies.)