For years, data privacy in India lived in a grey zone. Mobile numbers demanded at checkout counters. Aadhaar photocopies lying unattended in hotel drawers. Marketing messages that arrived long after you stopped using a service. Most of us accepted this as normal, until the law caught up.
That moment has arrived.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023, backed by the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on 13 November 2025, marks a decisive shift in how personal data must be treated in India. As the country heads into 2026, businesses are entering the most critical phase: execution.
Companies now have an 18-month window to re-engineer systems, processes, and accountability frameworks across IT, legal, HR, marketing, and vendor ecosystems. The change is not cosmetic. It is structural.
As Sandeep Shukla, Director, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT Hyderabad), puts it bluntly:
“Well, I can say that Indian Companies so far has been rather negligent of customer’s privacy. Anywhere you go, they ask for your mobile number.”
The DPDP Act is designed to ensure that such casual indifference to personal data does not survive the next decade.
Below are eight fundamental ways the DPDP Act will change how Indian companies handle data in 2026, with real-world implications for businesses, consumers, and the digital economy.
1. Privacy Will Movefromthe Back Office to the Boardroom
Until now, data protection in Indian organizations largely sat with compliance teams or IT security. That model will not hold in 2026.
The DPDP framework makes senior leadership directly accountable for how personal data is handled, especially in cases of breaches or systemic non-compliance. Privacy risk will increasingly be treated like financial or operational risk.
According to Shashank Bajpai, CISO & CTSO at YOTTA, “The DPDP Act (2023) becomes operational through Rules notified in November 2025; the result is a staggered compliance timetable that places 2026 squarely in the execution phase. That makes 2026 the inflection year when planning becomes measurable operational work and when regulators will expect visible progress.”
In 2026, privacy decisions will increasingly sit with boards, CXOs, and risk committees. Metrics such as consent opt-out rates, breach response time, and third-party risk exposure will become leadership-level conversations, not IT footnotes.
2. Consent Will Become Clear, Granular, and Reversible
One of the most visible changes users will experience is how consent is sought.
Under the DPDP Act, consent must be specific, informed, unambiguous, and easy to withdraw. Pre-ticked boxes and vague “by using this service” clauses will no longer be enough.
As Gauravdeep Singh, State Head (Digital Transformation), e-Mission Team, MeitY, explains, “Data Principal = YOU.”
Whether it’s a food delivery app requesting location access or a fintech platform processing transaction history, individuals gain the right to control how their data is used—and to change their mind later.
3. Data Hoarding Will Turnintoa Liability
For many Indian companies, collecting more data than necessary was seen as harmless. Under the DPDP Act, it becomes risky.
Organizations must now define why data is collected, how long it is retained, and how it is securely disposed of. If personal data is no longer required for a stated purpose, it cannot simply be stored indefinitely.
Shukla highlights how deeply embedded poor practices have been, “Hotels take your aadhaar card or driving license and copy and keep it in the drawers inside files without ever telling the customer about their policy regarding the disposal of such PII data safely and securely.”
In 2026, undefined retention is no longer acceptable.
4. Third-Party Vendors Will Come Under the Scanner
Data processors like cloud providers, payment gateways, CRM platforms, will no longer operate in the shadows.
The DPDP Act clearly distinguishes between Data Fiduciaries (companies that decide how data is used) and Data Processors (those that process data on their behalf). Fiduciaries remain accountable, even if the breach occurs at a vendor.
This will force companies to:
- Audit vendors regularly
- Rewrite contracts with DPDP clauses
- Monitor cross-border data flows
As Shukla notes, “The shops, E-commerce establishments, businesses, utilities collect so much customer PII, and often use third party data processor for billing, marketing and outreach. We hardly ever get to know how they handle the data.”
In 2026, companies will be required to audit vendors, strengthen contracts, and ensure processors follow DPDP-compliant practices, because liability remains with the fiduciary.
5. Breach Response Will Be Timed, Tested, and Visible
Data breaches are no longer just technical incidents, they are legal events.
The DPDP Rules require organizations to detect, assess, and respond to breaches with defined processes and accountability. Silence or delay will only worsen regulatory consequences.
As Bajpai notes, “The practical effect is immediate: companies must move from policy documents to implemented consent systems, security controls, breach workflows, and vendor governance.”
Tabletop exercises, breach simulations, and forensic readiness will become standard—not optional.
6. SignificantData Fiduciaries (SDFs) Will Face Heavier Obligations
Not all companies are treated equally under the DPDP Act. Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs)—those handling large volumes of sensitive personal data, will face stricter obligations, including:
- Data Protection Impact Assessments
- Appointment of India-based Data Protection Officers
- Regular independent audits
Global platforms like Meta, Google, Amazon, and large Indian fintechs will feel the pressure first, but the ripple effect will touch the entire ecosystem.
7. A New Privacy Infrastructure Will Emerge
The DPDP framework is not just regulation—it is ecosystem building.
As Bajpai observes, “This is not just regulation; it is an economic strategy to build domestic capability in cloud, identity, security and RegTech.”
Consent Managers, auditors, privacy tech vendors, and compliance platforms will grow rapidly in 2026. For Indian startups, DPDP compliance itself becomes a business opportunity.
8. Trust Will Become a Competitive Advantage
Perhaps the biggest change is psychological. In 2026, users will increasingly ask:
- Why does this app need my data?
- Can I withdraw consent?
- What happens if there’s a breach?
One Reddit user captured the risk succinctly, “On paper, the DPDP Act looks great… But a law is only as strong as public awareness around it.”
Companies that communicate transparently and respect user choice will win trust. Those that don’t will lose customers long before regulators step in.
Preparing for 2026: From Awareness to Action
As Hareesh Tibrewala, CEO at Anhad, notes, “Organizations now have the opportunity to prepare a roadmap for DPDP implementation.”
For many businesses, however, the challenge lies in turning awareness into action, especially when clarity around timelines and responsibilities is still evolving.
The concern extends beyond citizens to companies themselves, many of which are still grappling with core concepts such as consent management, data fiduciary obligations, and breach response requirements. With penalties tiered by the nature and severity of violations—ranging from significant fines to amounts running into hundreds of crores, this lack of understanding could prove costly.
In 2026, regulators will no longer be looking for intent, they will be looking for evidence of execution. As Bajpai points out, “That makes 2026 the inflection year when planning becomes measurable operational work and when regulators will expect visible progress.”
What Companies Should Do Now: A Practical DPDP Act Readiness Checklist
As India moves closer to full DPDP enforcement, organizations that act early will find compliance far less disruptive. At a minimum, businesses should focus on the following steps:
- Map personal data flows: Identify what personal data is collected, where it resides, who has access to it, and which third parties process it.
- Review consent mechanisms: Ensure consent requests are clear, purpose-specific, and easy to withdraw, across websites, apps, and internal systems.
- Define retention and deletion policies: Establish how long different categories of personal data are retained and document secure disposal processes.
- Assess third-party risk: Audit vendors, cloud providers, and processors to confirm DPDP-aligned controls and contractual obligations.
- Strengthen breach response readiness: Put tested incident response and notification workflows in place, not just policies on paper.
- Train employees across functions: Build awareness beyond IT and legal teams, privacy failures often begin with everyday operational mistakes.
- Assign ownership and accountability: Clearly define who is responsible for DPDP compliance, reporting, and ongoing monitoring.
These steps are not about ticking boxes; they are about building muscle memory for a privacy-first operating environment.
2026 Is the Year Privacy Becomes Real
The DPDP Act does not promise instant perfection. What it demands is accountability.
By 2026, privacy will move from policy documents to product design, from legal fine print to leadership dashboards, and from reactive fixes to proactive governance. Organizations that delay will not only face regulatory penalties, but they also risk losing customer trust in an increasingly privacy-aware market.
As Sandeep Shukla cautions, “It will probably take years before a proper implementation at all levels of organizations would be seen.”
But the direction is clear. Personal data in India can no longer be treated casually.
The DPDP Act marks the end of informal data handling, and the beginning of a more disciplined, transparent, and accountable digital economy.
