India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) is one of the most significant regulatory developments in Asia’s privacy landscape. After years of discussion, the Act received presidential assent in 2023 and is awaiting full operationalization, pending the finalization of rules and phased notifications. With potential penalties reaching INR 250 crore per violation (approximately 30 million USD), the DPDP Act signals a strong shift toward accountability, transparency, and responsible personal data handling.
But compliance is not simply about legal text. The primary challenge for most organizations lies in operationalizing the DPDP principles in environments where data constantly moves across apps, clouds, endpoints, and third-party ecosystems.
This blog outlines the practical implications of the DPDP Act, what organizations (Data Fiduciaries or Data Processors) should expect as enforcement approaches, and the importance of data-centric security for regulatory compliance.