Centre May Fast-Track DPDP Compliance Timeline

In what may mark a pivotal moment for India’s digital governance, the Union government is now considering an acceleration of the country’s newly notified data protection framework. The message from New Delhi is becoming clearer: India wants its digital privacy regime to move faster—much faster.

On Monday, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hinted that the Centre is actively exploring ways to compress the 18-month compliance timeline granted under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules. Though the rules were notified only a few days ago, the minister’s remarks indicate that India is gearing up to move towards a sharper, more urgent implementation of its data protection architecture.

The suggestion didn’t come casually. Speaking at a media briefing, Vaishnaw emphasised that the government was already in talks with industry leaders—including major global tech firms—to quicken the transition to the new privacy regime. He indicated that amendments to the rules may be introduced once the Data Protection Board is set up, potentially trimming the currently phased rollout timeline.

DPDP Bill

“If global companies already comply elsewhere, why not in India?”

Building his case, Vaishnaw made a pointed reference to big tech firms such as Google and Meta, which already adhere to strict privacy norms in various international markets. If these frameworks exist and function effectively abroad, the minister questioned, why shouldn’t the same levels of compliance be brought to India sooner?

“You (big techs) already have a compliance framework which is existing in other geographies. Why can’t you replicate this?” he said, adding that companies have responded positively to the idea of a faster shift.

This argument forms the Centre’s central rationale: India’s digital ecosystem is now large and mature enough to demand high standards—and global firms operating in the country should be expected to comply without needing prolonged adaptation windows.

A Framework Designed for Citizen Safety in a Deepfake Era

Beyond compliance timelines, the minister underscored something far more urgent—the need to safeguard society from disinformation and deepfakes. With rapid advancements in AI and digital technologies, Vaishnaw stressed that protecting citizens in this evolving environment requires both expert collaboration and robust techno-legal frameworks.

“The way digital technologies and new opportunities are coming up, protecting the interests of citizens and the coming generations is of utmost importance,” he said, according to reports.

The DPDP Rules were introduced precisely for this purpose: to create clear, structured, and enforceable standards around how personal data is collected, processed and stored by digital companies. From social media giants to app developers, all players are now governed by standardised procedures and stronger obligations.

What the DPDP Rules Change

Notified just days ago, the DPDP Rules 2025 mark a major shift in India’s approach to personal data protection. Among the key features:

• An 18-month phased compliance period (now likely to be shortened) for companies to transition into the new regime.

• Mandatory simple and purpose-specific consent notices, ensuring users know exactly why their data is being collected.

• Clear obligations for data fiduciaries—entities like Google, Meta and various digital platforms.

• The establishment of a Data Protection Board, which will allow citizens to file and track complaints online through a central portal and a mobile app.

This board is expected to become the primary enforcement body for India’s privacy framework.

Critics Flag Uncertainty for Startups, Smaller Businesses

Even as the government pushes for a faster rollout, the rules have stirred unease in sections of the industry. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has raised concerns around ambiguities in the Act—particularly around what compliance will mean for tech startups and small businesses.

For early-stage companies operating with limited resources, new compliance procedures could become expensive and complex. IAMAI has cautioned that without clear guidelines, the DPDP regime may inadvertently burden India’s startup ecosystem, which has long been considered one of the country’s key economic drivers.

A Pivotal Moment for Digital India

The government’s insistence on compressing the compliance timeline signals a broader shift in India’s tech policy—one that prioritises citizen protection, digital trust, and global-standard governance. As the Data Protection Board prepares to take form, the coming months will determine how swiftly India transitions to one of the world’s most ambitious data protection frameworks.

For now, one thing is certain: the Centre wants India’s digital privacy overhaul to move at a pace that matches the speed and scale of the technologies it aims to regulate.