What is a DPDP audit?

A DPDP audit is an independent assessment of how your organisation collects, uses, stores and shares digital personal data, measured against the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and the DPDP Rules. DPDP Audits tests 67 controls mapped across 21 sections of the Act and reports the gaps, with a remediation roadmap signed off by a CISA-certified auditor.

Who needs to comply with the DPDP Act 2023?

Any organisation that processes digital personal data in India, and any organisation outside India that processes such data to offer goods or services to people in India, is a Data Fiduciary under the Act. This covers banks, NBFCs, fintechs, hospitals, e-commerce, EdTech, SaaS and most businesses that hold customer or employee data.

When do DPDP Act obligations come into force?

The DPDP Rules 2025 were notified in November 2025 with a phased rollout. Provisions setting up the Data Protection Board of India took effect immediately, Consent Manager provisions follow after 12 months, and the core Data Fiduciary obligations — notice, consent, security safeguards, breach reporting and data principal rights — apply 18 months after notification, from May 2027.

What are the penalties for non-compliance with the DPDP Act?

The Data Protection Board of India can impose penalties of up to ₹250 crore for a failure to take reasonable security safeguards to prevent a personal data breach, with other penalties scaled by the type of breach under the Schedule to the Act.

How much does a DPDP compliance audit cost?

A one-time, project-based DPDP audit costs ₹1.5 lakh to ₹3.5 lakh per engagement. Ongoing DPO advisory on a monthly retainer costs ₹25,000 to ₹45,000 per month. Prices are indicative; the final fee depends on organisation size, data volume and scope, and GST applies.

Is AI used to reach audit conclusions?

No. AI-assisted Computer Audit Tools (CAATs) gather and organise evidence and report observations only. Every compliance determination, materiality assessment and audit opinion is made personally by Ram Krishan Dudeja, CISA, in line with ISACA and IIA professional standards.

Do you offer DPDP audits across India?

Yes. DPDP Audits works with organisations Pan-India, both remotely and on-site.

Can an IS audit or CERT-IN empanelled firm partner with DPDP Audits?

Yes. Under the Annual Audit Partner model, DPDP Audits works as a sub-contractor adding a DPDP module to your existing client engagements, on a day rate of ₹18,000 to ₹28,000 or a 20–30% revenue share, with the report co-branded with your firm.

DPDP Compliance for Banks, NBFCs and Fintechs

Banks, NBFCs and fintechs process more personal data than almost any other sector — KYC documents, account and transaction histories, credit bureau data, device data from mobile apps. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, every one of them is a Data Fiduciary, and the larger institutions are strong candidates for notification as Significant Data Fiduciaries.

How DPDP interacts with RBI requirements

Financial institutions already work under RBI directions on KYC, IT governance, outsourcing, digital lending and cyber security. DPDP does not replace these. In practice:

Retention: where another law or regulator requires records to be kept (for example KYC and transaction records), that requirement continues to apply; DPDP erasure duties apply once no such obligation remains.
Legitimate uses: some processing needed to comply with law may not need fresh consent, but the basis should be documented for each purpose.
Security: existing IS audit and cyber security controls are a head start, but DPDP evidence must show they protect personal data specifically — and that logs are retained and monitored.
Outsourcing: vendor and DSA/recovery agent contracts need DPDP processor clauses, not only confidentiality clauses.

Gaps commonly found in financial services

Bundled consent in account-opening and loan journeys, with no itemised notice per purpose
Cross-selling and marketing using data collected for KYC or servicing
Personal data shared with DSAs, collection agencies and fintech partners without processor terms
Mobile apps collecting contacts, location or device data beyond what the stated purpose needs
No working process to honour consent withdrawal across core banking, CRM and marketing systems
Breach response plans built for CERT-In and RBI reporting, but not for notifying individuals
Legacy data of closed accounts kept indefinitely with no documented retention basis

If you are a likely Significant Data Fiduciary

Large banks and NBFCs should plan now for the extra obligations: a Data Protection Officer based in India, an independent data auditor, and periodic Data Protection Impact Assessments and audits. Building these into the existing audit calendar is far cheaper than standing them up after notification.

Why a banking-background auditor helps

DPDP Audits is led by Ram Krishan Dudeja, CISA CAIIB, a former Assistant General Manager (Vigilance) at State Bank of India. That background means the audit is designed around how branches, loan operations and core banking actually work — so findings are practical to fix, not just technically correct.

Start with the DPDP audit checklist, and see DPDP Rules 2025 explained for the compliance timeline.

DPDP Compliance for Banks, NBFCs and Fintechs

How DPDP interacts with RBI requirements

Gaps commonly found in financial services

If you are a likely Significant Data Fiduciary

Why a banking-background auditor helps

Need an independent DPDP audit?

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