The Digital Personal Data Protection Act

In an era defined by data-driven decision-making and AI-powered systems, safeguarding personal information has become both a legal mandate and a business imperative. As India embraces its own comprehensive data protection law, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, organizations must adapt swiftly to meet rising expectations around privacy, accountability, and digital trust.

This book walks readers through the full lifecycle of compliance under the DPDP Act. It begins with the law’s foundations and the need for India-specific regulation, followed by understanding enterprise data types and classification strategies. The book addresses cross-border data transfers and cloud compliance, and emphasizes record-keeping and accountability via DPIAs. It then guides readers on audit strategies and continuous compliance, working with regulators and boards, embedding a culture of privacy, and safeguarding core systems like CRM and HR platforms. Each chapter blends legal guidance with enterprise practices, tools, and templates for real-world use.

By the end of this book, readers will be well-equipped to interpret the DPDP Act, design compliance-ready systems, and lead data protection initiatives across their organizations. They will gain practical skills in policy implementation, audit preparedness, breach response, consent governance, and regulatory engagement, empowering them to act as informed custodians of digital trust in India’s evolving data economy.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● Understand the structure and scope of the DPDP Act.
● Implement consent and data processing workflows effectively.
● Classify and safeguard enterprise data across systems.
● Design breach response and notification procedures.
● Manage data principal rights and requests confidently.
● How AI agents will reshape compliance.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
This book is for IT professionals, compliance officers, data protection officers, risk managers, legal advisors, and governance teams working in Indian enterprises. It is also valuable for SaaS architects, cloud security leads, and consultants who support organizations in implementing the DPDP Act and aligning privacy practices with evolving regulatory and technology landscapes.

1. Getting Started with DPDP Act and Draft Rules
2. Evolving Data Landscape in Enterprises
3. Data Collection, Processing, and Consent
4. Data Security Measures
5. Data Principal Rights and Duties
6. Personal Data Breach Management under the DPDP Act
7. Taking Data Overseas and Using Cloud
8. Records, Documentation, and Accountability
9. Auditing and Compliance Monitoring
10. Dealing with Regulatory Authorities under the DPDP Act
11. Building a Data Protection Culture
12. Building Data Protection Across LOB Apps
13. Conclusion and The Road Ahead

● Ashish Kumar is a seasoned technology leader with over 28 years of cross- disciplinary experience in engineering, consulting, technology sales, and product development. Currently serving as principal PM manager at Microsoft, he leads strategic initiatives that bridge business goals with cutting-edge technology solutions. Ashish’s global experience—spanning roles at Microsoft, HCL, TCS, Star TV, and ICI— has shaped his ability to drive transformation at scale, deliver product innovation, and enable customer success across diverse industries and geographies.

His engineering and consulting background has empowered enterprises to adopt digital transformation strategies with confidence, while his product leadership ensures scalable, secure, and market-aligned solutions. With a keen understanding of both technology and business, Ashish has played a critical role in shaping compliance- ready solutions in the evolving regulatory landscape.

Ashish is also the co-author of Managing Risks in Digital Transformation (2023), a practical guide for technology leaders dealing with digital threats in the post-pandemic world, including insider risks and cyberwarfare. Back in 2020, while writing the book, he also explored the idea of chatbots and digital humans taking on roles as digital managers and AI assistants—a vision that is now fast becoming reality.

His commitment to responsible innovation extends beyond the enterprise. Ashish actively contributes to the development of sustainability frameworks, including the EU CSRD template in Microsoft Purview, and is a vocal advocate for the One Earth initiative—promoting ecological harmony through responsible digital development.

Ashish continues to focus on empowering organizations to embrace data protection, cybersecurity, and sustainability as core pillars of digital leadership, with a vision for a more secure and sustainable digital future.

● Nisha Narasimhan is a principal product manager at Microsoft, where she leads compliance and security innovation in Microsoft Purview. She leads the modernization of eDiscovery, enabling organizations to conduct investigations with greater efficiency, scalability, and security. Her work focuses on bridging regulatory requirements with product innovation, reducing operational risk, and empowering enterprises to strengthen their compliance posture in a rapidly evolving landscape.

● Amit Sachdev is a visionary technologist and serial entrepreneur with a relentless drive to transform industries through cutting-edge AI solutions, ERP innovation, and secure and scalable digital architectures. With a career spanning leadership roles at Microsoft, Oracle, Sage, and Start-ups, as well as founding and advising high-growth tech ventures, he has mastered the art of turning complex challenges into disruptive opportunities.

As a CTO and chief architect, Amit has designed and deployed enterprise-grade solutions that optimize operations, enhance decision-making, and future-proof businesses at companies like Microsoft. Oracle and Sage, he has led complex AI-driven ERP modernization projects, empowering Fortune 500 companies with intelligent automation.

Beyond corporate leadership, Amit is a published author, advisor to various start- ups and incubation companies through Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), a guide mentor at Schulich School of Business, York University,
and an active member of various media and art clubs.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Amit is passionate about the ethical future of AI, modern and secure data solutions, scaling tech without losing agility, and "next- generation intelligent and autonomous ERP ecosystems".