Consent Management in 2026: What Businesses Must Be Ready For

The landscape of user consent in India has changed forever. With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA) and DPDP Rules, 2025 now live, consent management is no longer a basic UI element it’s a critical compliance layer in your tech stack.

In 2026, if your business collects or processes personal data in India, you are legally required to obtain, record, manage, and prove user consent across web, app, and backend systems.

This blog unpacks what the new standard of DPDP-compliant consent management looks like and how businesses can prepare.

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Why Consent Management Now Requires a System, Not Just a Checkbox

Gone are the days when a “By continuing, you agree…” banner sufficed. Under the DPDP Act, consent must be:

• Free – No coercion or pre-ticked boxes

• Specific – Clear purpose and scope

• Informed – With accessible, understandable notices

• Unambiguous – Explicitly agreed to

• Verifiable – Loggable and provable on demand

DPDP Rule 5 to Rule 9 define these obligations in detail, and Section 33 imposes penalties of up to ₹250 crore for non-compliance.

So what does this mean for your business in 2026?

Key Consent Management Requirements Under DPDP

Here’s what your consent workflows must be able to do and prove:

1. Display Equal “Accept” and “Reject” Options

• Rule 5(3): Consent must not be misleading or nudged.

• “Reject All” must be as prominent as “Accept All.”

2. Link Consent to a Specific Purpose

• Consent is purpose-limited.

• You cannot use personal data for any secondary use unless fresh consent is obtained.

3. Enable Easy Withdrawal or Modification

• Under Rule 7, users should be able to withdraw consent at any time, with the same ease as giving it.

4. Maintain Verifiable Logs

• You must keep a timestamped record of when, how, and for what purpose the user gave consent.

5. Track Expiry and Refresh

• Consent must be refreshed if the data is retained for long periods or reused for new purposes.

6. Support Grievance Handling

• Rule 21 mandates a 7-day grievance redressal mechanism in case users raise issues with consent or data processing.

What DPDP-Compliant Consent Infrastructure Looks Like

In 2026, your Consent Management Platform (CMP) should include:

• Customisable cookie banners with “Reject All” parity

• APIs to sync consent across platforms

• Auto-logging of user actions

• Purpose-specific toggle management

• Dashboard for consent history and withdrawal

• Real-time alerts for risky consent flows or expired consents

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Thinking a banner = consent

• Making “Reject All” hard to find

• Storing data without consent logs

• Sharing data with vendors not listed in the privacy notice

• Allowing opt-outs only via email

Each of these can lead to invalid consent and penalties under Section 33(b).

Consent UX = Brand Trust

Remember: Consent isn’t just a legal checkbox it’s a trust signal. A clear, respectful, user-first consent experience reflects your brand’s values and reduces opt-out rates.

Well-designed consent flows are:

• Transparent: Explain why you need the data

• Control-friendly: Let users choose what they want to share

• Accessible: Work across devices and assistive tech

How Blutic Helps You Stay Consent-Ready

Blutic is India’s only DPDP-native consent and cookie management platform, designed to help businesses:

• Build DPDP Rule 5–9 compliant consent banners

• Sync consent across multiple systems and vendors

• Maintain verifiable logs and audit trails

• Offer real-time withdrawal and preference management

• Meet grievance SLAs with built-in escalation workflows

With Blutic, you don’t just capture consent—you manage it responsibly.

Consent in 2026 is no longer passive. It’s a living signal one that must be actively maintained, refreshed, and proved. The DPDP Act has made it clear: If you can’t verify it, it doesn’t count.

Treat consent as part of your infrastructure not just your interface. It’s the foundation of privacy, compliance, and customer trust in a post-DPDP India.

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