The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, is a significant and transformative step in India’s data protection journey. As India moves to align itself with global privacy standards while addressing local challenges, these draft rules promise innovation but also reveal areas needing refinement.
In this article, I have tried to provide an overview of the current rules along with areas of gaps identified and a brief comparison with the globally referred to standard for Privacy – GDPR.
The rules showcase that at the heart of it lies a vision to protect personal data, empower individuals, and establish accountability for entities handling such data. Some of the standout provisions include:
Now that we have understood the rules with much more clarity, it is safe to say that these provisions are setting the stage for India to adopt a modern, privacy-centric framework. However, the DPDP Rules, leave a huge room for improvement especially with respect to the challenges of balancing innovation, enforcement, and practicality.
Every visionary framework needs fine-tuning to truly deliver on its promises. So here are some of the gaps identified and my recommendations for a Stronger Framework inspired by industry insights and global practices!
These enhancements will not only address the ambiguities in the draft rules but also bring the framework closer to aligning with global privacy regulations. So, my next step is to understand how the DPDP Rules measure up against established frameworks like GDPR, let’s take a closer look at their strengths and areas that need improvement, shall we?
As we compare the DPDP Rules, 2025, with global benchmarks like GDPR, it becomes evident that India has taken a bold stride in shaping a privacy-centric framework tailored to its unique needs. The strengths are undeniable with introducing innovative concepts such as consent management, algorithmic accountability, and a focus on both private and public sector transparency. Yet, the framework also faces challenges, from rigid cross-border data transfer rules to the need for operational clarity.
The road ahead is very critical. Addressing these gaps through thoughtful refinement and pragmatic implementation will determine the framework’s success. If India can strike the right balance between fostering innovation, safeguarding privacy, and ensuring global interoperability, the DPDP Rules have the potential to position the country as a trusted leader in the global data economy.
The question now is whether these rules can rise to the occasion, setting a new gold standard for data governance, or whether enforcement and operational challenges will hinder their promise.
Enjoyed reading this blog? Stay updated with our latest exclusive content by following us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
This website uses the following additional cookies:
(List the cookies that you are using on the website here.)
More information about our Cookie Policy