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DPDP Insights › Manufacturing › Data and analytics department

DPDP for the Data and analytics department in Manufacturing

Reviewed by InfraVeritas360 ResearchFirst published Last reviewed

Sources: DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025 (MeitY) · Ministry of Labour and Employment (PIB) · India Code; PRS summary · PIB · Kerala Factories and Boilers Department (copy of the Rules)

The data team runs MIS and reports on workforce, dealers, loyalty, sales and, in fertilisers, subsidy and supply.

Written for: Data and analytics department, Manufacturing. Open this seat in the interactive tool

What is different here

Attendance, wage and safety reports rest on employment and legal duty. Loyalty segments for offers need consent, and scheme data should appear only as totals for supply and subsidy work. Old extracts of worker and dealer data often outlive their purpose on shared drives.

The first four things to sort out

  1. Tag reports and tables with the purposes they may serve.
  2. Mask Aadhaar, bank and phone numbers in analysis copies.
  3. Show scheme data as district or dealer totals.
  4. Set deletion dates for extracts and test copies.

A worked example

Data and analytics department

A monthly contractor report with worker names

  1. Week 1The data team finds a monthly report that sends every contract worker's name, ID number and attendance to 30 managers.
  2. Week 2Managers are asked what they use. Most need only headcount and hours by contractor.
  3. Week 3The report now shows totals. Named data stays in HRMS for those who manage wages.
  4. AfterOld copies of the report on shared drives are deleted with a log.

Evidence kept

  • Report review
  • Manager responses
  • New report format
  • Deletion log

Ask each reader whether the names are needed.

What others in the sector usually do. Many data teams start by listing every recurring report that carries worker or farmer names, and asking each owner whether names are needed.

Where it usually goes wrong, by organisation type

Organisation typeHotspots
Chemicals and petrochemicalsWorker health surveillance records; Hazardous goods driver and transporter records; Emergency plan contact lists shared with authorities
FertilisersFarmer Aadhaar authentication at retailer PoS; Farmer lists from meetings and agronomy apps; Dealer and retailer KYC records
Automotive and auto componentsConnected-vehicle location data; Dealer-shared buyer lists; Mechanic loyalty apps
FMCG and consumer goodsContest and promotion entries; Retailer app data; Agency-held consumer lists
Steel, metals and miningTownship and hospital records; Contract labour biometrics; Resettlement records
Cement and building materialsMason loyalty bank details; Driver records; Dealer KYC
Textiles and apparelAuditor access to worker files; Hostel records; Agency-held worker data
Food processing and dairyFarmer payment data; Collection centre registers; Consumer complaint records

8 questions the Data and analytics department asks, answered in full

Contract workers, gate passes and biometrics: who is responsible for their data?

Short answer: You are, for data used at your plant; agencies act for you under contract

Your company decides why contract workers' data is collected at your plant: gate access, attendance, safety and the records the Labour Codes ask for. So for that data you are responsible, even when a manpower agency or contractor collects it. Agencies need a contract with data terms. Collect only what the gate and the law need, and delete biometric templates and photos when a worker leaves.

What the law says

Section 7 covers purposes of employment and duties under law. Section 8(1) keeps you responsible for processors. Section 8(7) asks for erasure when the purpose is over. Section 7 · Section 8(1)–(2) · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8 · Section 5 · Rule 3

Steps
  1. List what is collected for each contract worker: ID, photo, biometric, bank details, medical fitness.
  2. Remove what the gate and the Labour Codes do not need.
  3. Give a short notice in the worker's language at enrolment.
  4. Add a data schedule to every agency and contractor contract.
  5. Delete templates and photos at exit; keep only the registers the law requires.
Evidence to keep
  • Enrolment field list with reasons
  • Notice in local languages
  • Signed agency data schedules
  • Exit deletion log
Common mistakes
  • Agencies keeping their own copies of Aadhaar cards
  • Templates of workers who left years ago
  • Worker lists shared with contractors on chat groups

Connected vehicles and product registration: what can we do with the data?

Short answer: For the service the buyer chose; anything more needs consent

Connected vehicles and smart products send location, usage and driving data, and registration gives you the buyer's contact details. Use it for what the buyer signed up for: warranty, recalls, safety and the services in the app. Sharing with insurers, finance partners or for marketing needs specific consent. Location data shows where people live and go, so keep only what each service needs.

What the law says

Section 6 needs specific consent for each purpose. Section 5 needs a notice. Section 16 applies if telematics data goes abroad. Section 5 · Rule 3 · Section 6 · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8 · Section 16 · Rule 15 · Sections 11–14 · Rule 14

Steps
  1. List the data each connected feature sends and why.
  2. Show the notice in the app and at delivery, by feature.
  3. Ask separately for insurer, partner and marketing sharing.
  4. Set retention for location history and trip data.
  5. Check where the telematics vendor stores and supports data.
Evidence to keep
  • Feature and data list
  • App notice and consent screens
  • Retention settings
  • Telematics vendor schedule
Common mistakes
  • Location kept for years by default
  • Dealer handing buyer lists to insurers
  • Telematics support from abroad with no contract terms

Can we use customer data for analytics and models?

Short answer: Yes, within the purpose or with consent

Yes, where the use fits the purpose people were told, or you have consent for it. Improving the service people signed up for usually fits. Selling insights, profiling for third parties or targeting children does not. Mask or aggregate wherever the question allows, and give analysis copies their own deletion date.

From your seat: Data and analytics department. Check the purpose before each analysis.
What the law says

Section 4 needs a lawful basis for each purpose. Section 6 needs specific consent. Section 9 bars behavioural monitoring of children. Section 8(3) asks for accuracy when data drives decisions. Section 4 · Section 6 · Section 9 · Rules 10, 12 · Section 8(3)

Steps
  1. Write the question and the data needed.
  2. Check the purpose people were told.
  3. Mask or aggregate by default.
  4. Get consent for uses outside the purpose.
  5. Set a deletion date for the copy.
Evidence to keep
  • Purpose checks
  • Data specifications
  • Retention entries
Common mistakes
  • Using all data because it is there
  • Analysis copies with no end date
  • Profiling children

How do we build privacy into a new product or system?

Short answer: Four questions at design, then build the basics in

Ask four questions at the design stage: what personal data, why, for how long, and who sees it. Then build in what the Act assumes: a notice, consent where needed, role-based access, logs of record views, a way to delete, and a way to answer requests. Adding these after launch costs far more.

From your seat: Data and analytics department. Mask and aggregate by default.
What the law says

Sections 5 to 12 assume systems that can show notices, record consent, limit access, log, delete and answer requests. Section 5 · Rule 3 · Section 6 · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8 · Sections 11–14 · Rule 14

Steps
  1. Add the four questions to design templates.
  2. Drop data you do not need.
  3. Build access roles and record-view logs.
  4. Build deletion and request export.
  5. Register the system in the inventory at launch.
Evidence to keep
  • Design review records
  • Inventory entries
  • Deletion tests
Common mistakes
  • Privacy review only at launch
  • Collecting 'in case we need it'
  • No delete function

Do we need a Data Protection Impact Assessment?

Short answer: Required only for SDFs; good practice for high-risk changes

By law, only Significant Data Fiduciaries must do a yearly impact assessment. For everyone else it is good practice for high-risk changes: new tracking, profiling, large data sharing, children's data or moving data abroad. A short assessment before the change is cheaper than fixing it later.

From your seat: Data and analytics department. Assess profiling.
What the law says

Section 10 and Rule 13 require a yearly impact assessment for Significant Data Fiduciaries. Section 10 · Rule 13 · Section 9 · Rules 10, 12 · Section 16 · Rule 15

Steps
  1. Define what counts as a high-risk change for you.
  2. Use a two-page template.
  3. Record the data, purpose, risks and safeguards.
  4. Get the DPO's view before approval.
  5. Keep it with the project record.
Evidence to keep
  • Assessment template
  • Completed assessments
  • DPO views
Common mistakes
  • Treating it as paperwork after launch
  • A 40-page template nobody completes
  • No trigger list

How long can we keep personal data?

Short answer: For the legal or business period, then erase

Keep data for as long as its purpose needs, or as long as a law requires, and then erase it. Every organisation must keep personal data and logs for at least one year under Rule 8(3). Write a retention schedule by record type, with the law or reason against each period.

From your seat: Data and analytics department. Analytics copies need a period.
Example in Manufacturing

Set periods from the Labour Codes, the chemical rules and the fertiliser order, record type by record type.

What the law says

Section 8(7) asks for erasure when the purpose is over, unless a law requires retention. Rule 8(3) sets a one-year minimum for personal data, traffic data and logs. Section 8(7) · Rule 8 · Section 8(5) · Rule 6

Steps
  1. List the record types you hold.
  2. Write the period for each, with the law, regulator rule or business reason.
  3. Set a trigger for the period to start: end of relationship, date of transaction, exit date.
  4. Automate deletion where you can; for paper, schedule shredding.
  5. Keep a deletion log.
Evidence to keep
  • Retention schedule approved by Legal
  • Deletion log
  • Shredding or disposal certificates
Common mistakes
  • 'Keep everything forever' because storage is cheap
  • Deleting before the legal minimum
  • Forgetting email, shared drives and backups

Do we process children's data, and what changes if we do?

Short answer: Check every channel; children often appear where you least expect

Anyone under 18 is a child under the Act. For a child's data you need verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian, and you must not track, behaviourally monitor or show targeted ads to children. Some classes and purposes are exempt under Rule 12 and the Fourth Schedule, for example healthcare to the extent needed to protect the child's health, and educational institutions for their educational work.

From your seat: Data and analytics department. No behavioural monitoring of children.
Example in Manufacturing

Product contests and school promotions may reach children. Parent consent and no targeted ads apply.

What the law says

Section 9 sets the duties. Rule 10 explains how to verify the parent. Rule 12 and the Fourth Schedule list the exemptions. Section 9 · Rules 10, 12 · Section 6

Steps
  1. Find where children's data enters: customers, dependants, interns, visitors, scholarships, app sign-ups.
  2. Decide whether an exemption in the Fourth Schedule applies to that purpose.
  3. Where none applies, add an age question and a parent-consent step.
  4. Switch off tracking and targeted ads for under-18 users.
  5. Record the decision for each channel.
Evidence to keep
  • Channel-by-channel note on children's data
  • Parent-consent records
  • Ad and tracking settings
Common mistakes
  • Assuming 'we are B2B, so no children'
  • Using the age 13 or 16 from foreign laws
  • Treating a tick-box from the child as parental consent

The sections you will use most

Other rules that sit alongside DPDP

RuleWhat it saysWhat it means alongside DPDPSource
Labour Codes (in force from 21 November 2025)The Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 came into force on 21 November 2025. Together they rationalise 29 earlier labour laws.Worker and contract labour records now follow the codes and the rules under them. Set retention for these records against the codes and state rules, not against the old Acts.Ministry of Labour and Employment (PIB)
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020Subsumes earlier Acts including the Factories Act, 1948 and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. Requires a free annual health examination for employees where prescribed, licences for those hiring contract labour, and registers kept in the prescribed form, electronically or otherwise.Gate passes, attendance, contractor registers and medical checks are legal records. DPDP adds access limits, security and deletion when the legal period is over.India Code; PRS summary
OSH Code: workers in hazardous processesPre-employment, periodic and post-exposure medical examinations are mandatory. Health records are mandatory and accessible to employees and inspectors. Hazardous establishments need an on-site emergency plan and six-monthly mock drills.Health records are among the most sensitive data a plant holds. The worker and the inspector may see them; supervisors and the wider HR team should not.PIB
Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989Rule 13: the occupier prepares and keeps up to date an on-site emergency plan, with a mock drill every six months and the report made available to the Authority. Rule 14: the Authority prepares the off-site emergency plan. Rule 15: the occupier informs persons outside the site about the hazard and safety measures.Emergency plans carry names and phone numbers of staff, contractors and authorities. Share them because the law asks, keep them current, and remove people who have left.Kerala Factories and Boilers Department (copy of the Rules)
Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996Set up Central, State, District and Local Crisis Groups. The District Crisis Group reviews occupiers' on-site plans while preparing the district off-site plan. The Local Crisis Group prepares the local emergency plan for the industrial pocket, educates the population likely to be affected and answers public inquiries.Contact lists you give the crisis groups are shared for a legal duty. Send only what the plan needs, through a channel you can show.FAOLEX (text of the Rules)
Direct Benefit Transfer in fertilisers (Department of Fertilizers)Sale of all subsidised fertilisers to farmers and buyers is made through Point of Sale (PoS) devices at retail shops. Beneficiaries are identified through documents such as Aadhaar, Kisan Credit Card or Voter ID. Subsidy is released to fertiliser companies on the basis of actual sales by retailers to beneficiaries.Farmer identity and purchase data move through retailers and a government system. Your company sees part of it. Use what you see only for the scheme and supply work.Department of Fertilizers
Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS)A pan-India digital platform developed by NIC for fertiliser DBT. It includes Aadhaar-based farmer authentication at PoS, captures transactions at manufacturing, import and retail points, and subsidy is released after a sale is recorded at the retailer level.iFMS is the government's system. Company dashboards and exports drawn from it still need access control and logs on your side.National Informatics Centre
Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985Dealers may sell only under an authorisation letter or certificate of registration (clauses 7 and 8). A retail dealer displays daily stock and prices (clause 4) and issues a cash or credit memo in Form M to the purchaser (clause 5). Records and returns in Form N are kept when the Controller directs (clause 35).Dealer authorisation papers and sale memos are dealer and farmer records. Your dealer KYC files and any farmer details on memos need the same care as other personal data.Government of Odisha (copy of the Order)
CERT-In Directions, 28 April 2022Report specified cyber incidents to CERT-In within six hours of noticing them. Keep logs of ICT systems for a rolling 180 days within India. Sync clocks to NIC or NPL time servers, or servers traceable to them.Applies to plants as well as head office. Keep this clock next to the DPDP breach steps in one plan.CERT-In
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