DPDP Act Forum Brings Policy and Practice Together

Data Safeguard recently convened an exclusive, closed-door, invitation-only forum titled “DPDP Act: Digital Autonomy” at the prestigious India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, bringing together a distinguished gathering of senior government officials, policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, legal experts, and privacy practitioners. The forum served as a high-level platform to deliberate on India’s evolving data protection landscape and the nation’s journey toward responsible, sovereign, and trust-based digital governance under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act.

The event commenced with a ceremonial inauguration and traditional lamp-lighting, symbolizing the collective commitment to safeguarding citizens’ digital rights. The inauguration was led by Shri Gulshan Rai, former National Cyber Security Coordinator, Government of India; Shri Vinayak Godse, CEO, Data Security Council of India (DSCI); Dr. Amar Patnaik, former Member of Parliament; and Shri Sudhir Sahu, Founder & CEO, Data Safeguard.

The forum was graced by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, as the Chief Guest. In his address—also shared through a recorded message—Shri Krishnan described the DPDP Act as a landmark reform that strengthens citizen trust, institutional accountability, and responsible data governance. He emphasized that the legislation is central to India’s vision of digital autonomy, balancing the protection of personal data with the need to foster innovation, economic growth, and a resilient digital ecosystem.

Following this, Guest of Honour addresses were delivered by Shri Vinayak Godse, CEO, DSCI, and Shri Gulshan Rai, former National Cyber Security Coordinator and former Director General of CERT-In. Shri Godse highlighted the importance of industry readiness, cross-sector collaboration, and embedding security-by-design and privacy-by-designprinciples into digital systems to ensure effective compliance. Shri Rai underscored the critical role of trust, accountability, and strong institutional capacity in operationalizing data protection frameworks at scale, stressing that legislation must be supported by robust implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

The Keynote Address by Dr. Amar Patnaik explored the theme “Digital Autonomy: From Compliance Burden to Competitive Catalyst.” He articulated how well-designed and effectively implemented data protection regimes can go beyond regulatory compliance to become strategic enablers—strengthening democratic values, enhancing economic competitiveness, and reinforcing India’s sovereign digital future in a data-driven global economy.

Setting the broader industry context, Shri Sudhir Sahu, Founder & CEO, Data Safeguard, spoke on the pivotal role of technology, automation, and integrated platforms in translating the DPDP Act from legislative intent into operational reality. He emphasized the need for unified, scalable, and future-ready privacy frameworks that help organizations manage compliance seamlessly while embedding trust, transparency, and accountability into their digital operations.

The second half of the forum featured five leadership panel discussions, aligned with key implementation themes under the DPDP Act:

● Privacy Policies

● Business Procedures

● Staff Awareness

● Technology Solutions

● Compliance Mapping

Panelists shared practical insights on embedding privacy into organizational culture, business processes, and technology architectures, reinforcing the need for integrated and automated approaches rather than siloed compliance efforts.

Overall, the forum reinforced the DPDP Act’s significance not merely as a regulatory milestone, but as a foundational pillar for India’s digital trust architecture—one that empowers citizens, enables enterprises, and advances the nation’s pursuit of digital sovereignty.

The event concluded with closing reflections by Dr. Pankaj Dikshit, Former CTO at GeM, reaffirming a shared commitment among policymakers, industry, and technology leaders to build a privacy-first, trust-driven digital India, anchored in the principles of accountability, transparency, and digital autonomy.