Parliament Passes Landmark Digital Privacy Bill After Heated Debate

The Indian Parliament on Wednesday passed the much-anticipated Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2025 after a marathon debate that lasted over 14 hours. The legislation, which has been in the works for nearly six years, establishes comprehensive guidelines for how companies collect, store, and process personal data of Indian citizens.

Key Provisions of the Bill

The bill mandates that all data fiduciaries must obtain explicit consent before processing personal data. Companies will be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer and establish grievance redressal mechanisms. Violations can attract penalties of up to Rs 250 crore, making it one of the strictest data protection frameworks in Asia.

"This is a historic day for Indian democracy. Every citizen now has the legal right to know how their data is being used," said the Union IT Minister during the post-vote press conference.

Opposition parties raised concerns about certain exemptions granted to government agencies, arguing that the bill creates a two-tier system. However, the ruling coalition maintained that national security considerations necessitate these provisions. The bill will now be sent to the President for assent and is expected to come into effect within 90 days.

Industry bodies including NASSCOM and CII have largely welcomed the legislation, though they have flagged concerns about compliance timelines for small and medium enterprises. Tech giants operating in India are already said to be restructuring their data handling processes in anticipation of the new rules.