DPDP Readiness Checklist: 10 Must‑Haves for Every Indian Website in 2026

DPDP Readiness Checklist: 10 Must‑Haves for Every Indian Website in 2026

With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act, 2023) now live and the DPDP Rules, 2025 officially published in the Gazette, 2026 becomes the first full enforcement year for Indian businesses.
Whether you run an e‑commerce website, SaaS product, fintech platform, news portal, or community app DPDP compliance is now non‑negotiable.

This checklist breaks down the 10 essential requirements every Indian website must implement to stay compliant, reduce penalty risk, and build user trust.

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1. A Clear, Easy-to-Read Privacy Notice (DPDP Rule 3)

Your website must provide a notice that is:

• Plain, clear, and independently understandable

• Describes what data you collect and why

• Lists the services enabled by this processing

• Offers a direct link to manage consent, withdraw consent, or raise complaints

If your notice is hidden, complicated, or bundled with other information you’re non‑compliant.

2. A DPDP-Compliant Cookie Banner (Accept + Reject)

Under the DPDP Act, consent must be:

• Informed

• Specific

• Unambiguous

• Given through a clear affirmative action

A compliant cookie banner must:

• Show Accept and Reject options with equal prominence

• Block non-essential cookies until consent is given

• Provide a preference centre for granular control

3. Verifiable Consent Records (Act + Rules 3 & 4)

You must maintain records of:

• Consents given

• Consents withdrawn

• Notices served

• Data shared with any Data Fiduciary

These logs must be stored securely and remain available for audits or user requests.

4. Easy Consent Withdrawal Everywhere

DPDP requires that withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it.

That means:

• One‑click withdrawal

• Always-visible “Manage Cookies / Manage Consent” option

• No dark patterns

• No forced flows

If it takes users five steps to opt out, but one click to opt in, that’s a violation.

5. Strong User Authentication for “Verifiable Consent” (DPDP Rule 10)

Especially for:

• Child data

• Sensitive interactions

• High-risk processing

You must verify identity and age before allowing the processing of child data or guardian information.

Failing to verify = non-compliance.

6. Data Breach Notification Setup (DPDP Rule 7)

Every website must have:

• A process to detect breaches

• A template to notify users

• A method to inform the Data Protection Board

• A 72‑hour escalation plan

This rule is one of the most strictly enforced. Delays or incomplete reporting attract heavy penalties.

7. Reasonable Security Safeguards (DPDP Rule 6)

Your website must implement:

• Encryption

• Obfuscation/Masking

• Access control

• Logging & monitoring

• Tokenisation (where applicable)

• Year-long retention of logs

If you store personal data without minimum safeguards, the DPDP risk multiplies.

8. Data Retention + Erasure Workflow (DPDP Rule 8)

You must:

• Retain personal data only as long as needed for the “specified purpose”

• Delete it when that purpose is no longer being served

• Maintain logs for minimum 1 year

• Notify users 48 hours before erasure (for certain categories)

For e-commerce, gaming, and social platforms, the 3-year rule applies for inactive users.

9. A Working Grievance Redressal Mechanism (Rule 14)

Your website must publish:

• Contact details of the DPO or grievance officer

• Clear grievance channels

• A response timeline not exceeding 90 days

This is mandatory for every Data Fiduciary, regardless of size.

10. A Consent Manager Integration (Rule 4 – Optional but Highly Recommended)

If your business handles:

• High user volumes

• Cross-platform consents

• Multi-app ecosystems

Then integrating a Consent Manager (registered under DPDP) gives you:

• Interoperable consent management

• Verified identity flows

• Consent routing

• Standardised compliance

This is the safest way to scale DPDP obligations without heavy internal infrastructure.

Why This Checklist Matters in 2026

2026 is the first full year when:

• Notice rules are live

• Breach rules are live

• Consent requirements are enforced

• Security safeguards are mandatory

• Retention + erasure rules start triggering

• Fines of up to ₹250 crore apply

No Indian website can afford to ignore DPDP readiness.

DPDP Compliance Isn’t Overhead - It’s Infrastructure

A compliant website:

• Builds trust

• Reduces penalty risk

• Protects user relationships

• Future‑proofs your brand as regulations evolve

If you want help simplifying cookie compliance, consent flows, and DPDP readiness Blutic gives you everything you need in one place:

• Automated cookie scanning

• DPDP‑compliant banners

• Verifiable consent

• Retention + erasure workflows

• Breach-ready logs

• Privacy notices

• Audit-friendly dashboards

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