--- title: "DPDP Act (India)" description: "The DPDP Act is India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which governs how organisations process digital personal data, including the phone numbers used for SMS and WhatsApp messaging." canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/dpdp-act/" language: "en" updated: "2026-11-06" publisher: "BroadNet Technologies" brand: "OmniChannels.ai" --- # DPDP Act (India) Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/dpdp-act/ Language: en Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies **Definition:** The DPDP Act is India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which governs how organisations process digital personal data, including the phone numbers used for SMS and WhatsApp messaging. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 sets rules for processing digital personal data of people in India. For messaging teams the practical point is that a mobile number on a contact list is personal data, so the way you collect it, store it and use it for marketing falls under the Act. The Government notified the DPDP Rules in November 2025. The Press Information Bureau describes a phased timeline of about eighteen months for compliance, with a Data Protection Board and consent managers in the framework. Which provisions apply on a given date should be confirmed with your own counsel. In day-to-day messaging the Act points to the same habits as good opt-in practice: keep a record of who agreed to receive messages, when, where and with what wording, and let people withdraw consent easily. The Act sits on top of sector rules rather than replacing them, so SMS senders still follow TRAI's DLT requirements and WhatsApp senders still follow WhatsApp's opt-in rule. Buying or renting contact lists makes it hard to show valid consent, so avoid it. This entry is a general explanation, not legal advice. ## Sources - [DPDP Rules 2025 notified, Press Information Bureau](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2190014®=3&lang=2) - [WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy](https://whatsappbusiness.com/policy/) - [Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)](https://www.trai.gov.in/)