Compliance Guidance

Your excuses won't save you from this law

14 June 20263 min read·DPDPA Editorial Team

General Business

Every small business owner says the same things. Here are the real answers.

Your excuses won't save you from this law

Still waiting? Here is the truth.

Most small business owners say the same four things. "We are too small." "We already have a policy." "No budget." "We will do it later." These sound safe. But the law does not care about your reasons. A fine under DPDPA can go up to 250 crore rupees. That is not a number for big companies only. That is for anyone who collects people's information — including you.

4 excuses and the blunt truth behind each

1"We are too small" — The law applies to any business collecting customer phone numbers.
2"We already have a policy" — A copied policy from Google is not real compliance.
3"No budget" — A fine of even 10 lakh rupees costs far more than fixing things now.
4"We will do it later" — Later has no date. The law is already here.

What does this mean for YOUR business?

You collect information every day. Customer phone numbers on WhatsApp. Staff Aadhaar and PAN cards. Resumes from job seekers. Salary slips in your office files. All of this is covered under the new law. If something goes wrong — a leak, a complaint, a check — your excuse will not protect you. The government can ask you to show proof. Not promises. Proof. Starting now is cheaper than fixing a problem later.

Who Is Affected

"We are too small" — The law applies to any business collecting customer phone numbers.
"We already have a policy" — A copied policy from Google is not real compliance.
"No budget" — A fine of even 10 lakh rupees costs far more than fixing things now.
"We will do it later" — Later has no date. The law is already here.

3 things you can do this week

Write down every place your business collects people's information today.

Check if your staff Aadhaar and customer data is stored safely and not shared freely.

Check if your business is ready. Takes 3 minutes. Visit saralprivacy.com/assessment

“Excuses shrink when the truth is short and specific.”

Free — takes 3 minutes

Is YOUR business ready for DPDPA?

Answer a few simple questions. Get your free Readiness Score — sent to your email or WhatsApp.

Check My Readiness →

Disclaimer: This briefing is for educational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice. Consult a qualified data protection lawyer for formal legal opinions specific to your business.

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