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DPDP Insights › Manufacturing › Sales department

DPDP for the Sales 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)

Field sales teams work with dealers, distributors, retailers, masons and, in fertilisers, farmers. They hold KYC papers, phone lists and often chat groups.

Written for: Sales department, Manufacturing. Open this seat in the interactive tool

What is different here

Dealer appointment needs KYC, and in fertilisers dealers sell only under an authorisation letter or certificate of registration under the Fertiliser (Control) Order. These papers are personal data and stay with the dealer file, not on a salesperson's phone. Loyalty enrolment needs the member's own consent, and field staff should not fill forms on people's behalf.

The first four things to sort out

  1. Keep dealer KYC papers in the dealer system, not on phones.
  2. Let members sign up themselves, with the notice shown.
  3. Do not ask retailers for farmers' Aadhaar copies or lists.
  4. Share contact lists through the CRM, not chat groups.

A worked example

Sales department

A sales officer's chat group of dealers and masons

  1. Week 1A sales officer leaves the company. His phone chat group has dealer KYC photos and a list of masons with phone numbers.
  2. Week 1The area manager removes the group and asks for the files to be deleted from his phone. The DPO is told.
  3. Week 2Dealer KYC papers are checked against the dealer system; the system copy is kept.
  4. AfterField staff share lists only through the CRM, and the exit checklist includes chat groups.

Evidence kept

  • Report to the DPO
  • Deletion confirmation
  • CRM instruction
  • Exit checklist

A dealer file on a salesperson's phone leaves with him.

What others in the sector usually do. Many sales teams start by cleaning dealer and mason contact groups on their phones and moving lists into the CRM.

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 Sales department asks, answered in full

Dealer, retailer, mason and mechanic loyalty programmes: what do we need?

Short answer: Consent with a clear notice; collect only what rewards need

Loyalty schemes collect names, phone numbers, photos, ID and bank details to pay rewards. Joining is a choice, so this rests on consent with a clear notice. Collect only what rewards and tax rules need, keep bank details in one secure place, and make leaving the scheme easy. The loyalty vendor acts for you. Dealer KYC for appointment is a separate purpose from loyalty.

What the law says

Section 5 needs a notice. Section 6 sets what valid consent is, including easy withdrawal. Section 8(1) covers the loyalty vendor. Section 5 · Rule 3 · Section 6 · Section 8(1)–(2) · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8

Steps
  1. List the fields the app and forms collect, and drop what rewards do not need.
  2. Show a short notice at sign-up in the local language.
  3. Keep bank details in the payout system only.
  4. Add a data schedule to the loyalty vendor contract.
  5. Close and delete inactive members' data on a set period.
Evidence to keep
  • Field list with reasons
  • Sign-up notice and consent records
  • Vendor schedule
  • Inactive member deletion log
Common mistakes
  • Bank details in spreadsheets sent by email
  • Field staff enrolling masons without telling them
  • Loyalty data reused for unrelated offers

Farmer Aadhaar authentication at the retailer's PoS: who is responsible for what?

Short answer: The scheme flow is the government's; your own farmer programmes are yours

Subsidised fertiliser is sold through PoS devices at retailers, with Aadhaar-based farmer authentication on iFMS, a government platform built by NIC for the Department of Fertilizers. The scheme decides why farmer identity is collected in that flow. Your company sees sales data from it and supplies the retailers. Treat any farmer-level data you see as personal data, use it only for supply and subsidy work, and never for marketing. For your own farmer meetings, soil testing and agronomy apps, you are the Data Fiduciary with full duties. Get a written legal view on your role.

What the law says

Section 4 needs a lawful basis for each use. Section 6 needs consent for your own programmes. Section 8(1) and 8(5) apply to any data your staff, dealers or vendors handle for you. Section 4 · Section 6 · Section 8(1)–(2) · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 5 · Rule 3

Steps
  1. Write down which farmer data you see from the scheme, and which you collect yourself.
  2. Limit company dashboards and exports to what supply and subsidy work needs.
  3. Remind dealers and retailers not to keep Aadhaar copies or note numbers in registers.
  4. Give a notice and ask consent in your own farmer apps and meetings.
  5. Keep scheme data and marketing data apart in your systems.
Evidence to keep
  • Written role view
  • Dashboard access list
  • Dealer circular
  • Farmer app notice and consent records
Common mistakes
  • Using scheme purchase data to target offers
  • Retailers keeping Aadhaar photocopies
  • Farmer meeting registers kept for ever

Can we send offers to past customers and leads?

Short answer: Only with separate consent and an easy way to stop

Marketing needs consent that is separate and specific, unless the person clearly expects it from the relationship. Bought or scraped lead lists are risky because you cannot show consent. Every message should carry an easy way to stop.

From your seat: Sales department. Use only leads with a consent source.
Example in Manufacturing

Never use fertiliser scheme purchase data or dealer KYC for offers.

What the law says

Section 6 sets the consent standard. Section 5 needs a notice. Section 9 bars targeted advertising at children. Section 6 · Section 5 · Rule 3 · Section 9 · Rules 10, 12

Steps
  1. Separate service messages from marketing messages.
  2. Ask marketing consent separately, with a clear action.
  3. Stop using bought lists unless the seller can show consent for you.
  4. Add an easy stop option to every message.
  5. Respect the telecom preference rules for calls and SMS.
Evidence to keep
  • Marketing consent records
  • Lead source records
  • Stop requests and their handling
Common mistakes
  • Treating account sign-up as marketing consent
  • Agency lists with no consent proof
  • A stop option that does not work

Someone withdraws consent. What has to stop, and how fast?

Short answer: Stop that use quickly, across every system and vendor

Withdrawal must be as easy as giving consent. Once someone withdraws, you and every vendor working for you must stop that use within a reasonable time. What was done before withdrawal stays lawful, and data that a law requires you to keep is kept.

From your seat: Sales department. Stop requests take effect the same day.
Example in Manufacturing

A mason leaves the loyalty scheme in the app. Offers stop, and the vendor closes his account within the set period.

What the law says

Section 6(4) to 6(6) give the right to withdraw at any time, with the same ease, and require processors to stop as well. Section 8(7) then asks for erasure unless a law requires retention. Section 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8 · Section 8(1)–(2)

Steps
  1. Give one simple way to withdraw on every channel where consent is taken.
  2. Record the withdrawal against the person and the purpose.
  3. Push the change to every system and vendor that uses that purpose.
  4. Confirm to the person, in writing, what has stopped and what is kept by law.
  5. Check a sample every month to see that the change actually reached every list.
Evidence to keep
  • Withdrawal log with time stamps
  • Proof that downstream systems and vendors updated
  • Confirmation sent to the person
Common mistakes
  • Withdrawal by email only, while consent was one tap in an app
  • Stopping in the main system but not in vendor lists
  • Deleting records a law requires you to keep

Staff share personal data on WhatsApp and personal email. What do we do?

Short answer: Yes, this is a common breach; give staff a safer option

Sending personal data to the wrong chat or a personal account is one of the most common breaches. Banning messaging rarely works. Give staff an approved tool that is easy to use, set simple rules, and make it safe to report a wrong send at once.

From your seat: Sales department. No customer lists on personal chat.
Example in Manufacturing

Supervisors and contractors share worker lists on chat groups. Give them a better route.

What the law says

Section 8(5) asks for reasonable safeguards. A wrong send is a breach under Section 2(u), and Section 8(6) applies. Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(6) · Rule 7

Steps
  1. Ask teams how they actually share files and photos today.
  2. Provide an approved tool for that job.
  3. Set three simple rules: approved tool, no personal accounts, report wrong sends.
  4. Teach the rules with real examples from your own work.
  5. Treat a quick report as good behaviour, not a disciplinary case.
Evidence to keep
  • Approved-tool policy
  • Training record
  • Incident reports of wrong sends
Common mistakes
  • A ban with no alternative
  • Punishing people who report
  • Ignoring group chats with vendors

What about call recordings and customer service screens?

Short answer: Yes, with notice, a retention period and masking

Call recordings, chat transcripts and agent screens hold a lot of personal data. Tell callers that calls are recorded and why, keep recordings for a set period, limit who can listen, and mask card numbers and passwords on screen and in recordings.

From your seat: Sales department. Follow TRAI rules for calls and SMS.
Example in Manufacturing

Warranty and service lines record calls; tell callers at the start.

What the law says

Section 5 needs notice, Section 8(5) needs safeguards, and Section 8(7) needs erasure after the purpose. Section 5 · Rule 3 · Section 8(5) · Rule 6 · Section 8(7) · Rule 8

Steps
  1. Play a short recording notice at the start of calls.
  2. Set a retention period by call type.
  3. Pause recording when card or other sensitive details are given.
  4. Limit replay rights to quality and complaint teams.
  5. Lock agent screens and stop phones on the floor if data is sensitive.
Evidence to keep
  • Recording notice script
  • Retention settings
  • Replay access list
Common mistakes
  • Recordings kept indefinitely
  • Card numbers in recordings
  • Open replay access for all supervisors

Someone asks what data we hold about them. What do we send?

Short answer: Yes, a clear summary, inside the published timeline

Send a summary of the personal data you hold about them and what you do with it, and the names of the other organisations you shared it with and what was shared. Check the person's identity first, log the request and keep a copy of your reply.

From your seat: Sales department. Pass data requests to the DPO's register.
Example in Manufacturing

A contract worker's summary should include what the agency and the medical centre hold for you.

What the law says

Section 11 gives the right to a summary and the list of organisations it was shared with. Rule 14 asks you to publish how requests are made and to answer within the period you publish. Sections 11–14 · Rule 14 · Section 8(9)–(10) · Rules 9, 14

Steps
  1. Log the request in one register the day it arrives.
  2. Verify identity using details you already hold.
  3. Search every system, including vendors' copies.
  4. Write a plain summary: what data, why it is used, who received it.
  5. Send it, and file the request, search notes and reply.
Evidence to keep
  • Request register
  • Search notes for each request
  • Copy of each reply with date
Common mistakes
  • Sending raw database dumps
  • Forgetting data held by vendors
  • No identity check before sending

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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