Privacy Policy & Data Protection

01 Introduction & Scope

Swabalambi Odisha (“we”, “our”, or “the Initiative”) is a grassroots, entrepreneur-led movement committed to connecting and empowering business owners, emerging startup founders, women entrepreneurs, and ecosystem enablers across Odisha.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you join our community, register for events, subscribe to regional updates, or contact our coordinators, and how that information is utilized responsibly.

We are committed to protecting personal data and handling it responsibly in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), as applicable.

02 Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide through our community forms, registrations, enquiries, and interactions.

• Personal Details: Full Name, Email Address, and Phone/WhatsApp Number.
• Business Information: Enterprise Name, Sector / Industry (such as Agri-Tech, Manufacturing, Handlooms, IT, etc.), and Business Stage.
• Location: City / Regional Node, including Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, or other Odisha districts.
• Enquiry & Collaboration Details: Purpose of engagement, event RSVP details, institutional partnership proposals, or other information voluntarily provided in connection with your enquiry or participation.

We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

03 How We Use Your Information

We use your information to foster constructive community connections and deliver relevant ecosystem support, including:

• Connecting you with relevant peer circles, local chapters, and mentorship programs.
• Sending invitations and information about regional meetups, workshops, institutional summits, and community initiatives.
• Facilitating verified supplier linkages, business collaborations, and academic-industry partnerships.
• Maintaining an accurate and transparent understanding of community scale and sector representation across Odisha.
• Responding to enquiries and providing information or support requested by you.

We do not use your personal information for purposes unrelated to the purposes communicated to you, except where otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

04 Zero Commercial Data Sale

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal or business data to third-party marketing agencies or external data brokers.

Information is used within the Swabalambi Odisha ecosystem and with relevant service providers or partners where necessary to provide requested services, operate the community, or fulfill legitimate organisational purposes, subject to applicable requirements.

We do not permit personal information to be commercially exploited as a data product.

05 Media & Visual Records

Photographs and video documentation captured during public community gatherings, university MOU ceremonies, industry visits, and official summits may be published on our website gallery and official communication channels to highlight grassroots entrepreneurship and community activities.

Where appropriate, we will seek consent or provide applicable notice in accordance with the circumstances and applicable law.

If you wish to have a specific photograph or video featuring you reviewed or removed, you may contact our coordination team using the details below. We will review such requests in accordance with applicable law and the circumstances in which the material was captured or published.

06 Data Sharing & Third-Party Services

We may use third-party technology and service providers to operate our website, forms, communications, hosting, analytics, and community activities.

Where personal data is processed through a third-party service, the processing may also be subject to that provider’s applicable privacy terms and policies.

For example, the Join Community form may be hosted through an external service such as Google Forms. Information submitted through such an external service may be processed by the relevant service provider in accordance with its applicable policies.

We do not share personal information with third parties for unrelated commercial marketing or data-broker activities.

07 Data Security & Retention

We implement reasonable physical and digital safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, or loss of information.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, to maintain relevant community records, or as required or permitted by applicable law.

Where information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete or securely dispose of it, subject to applicable legal, operational, or record-keeping requirements.

08 Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal data, including rights to:

• Request information about personal data associated with you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of personal data where applicable.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, subject to applicable limitations.
• Raise a grievance regarding the processing of your personal data.

To exercise an applicable right or raise a privacy-related concern, contact us using the details provided below. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

09 Children’s Data

Our community and website are primarily intended for entrepreneurs, business owners, founders, professionals, ecosystem participants, and other community stakeholders.

We do not knowingly seek to collect children’s personal data for purposes unrelated to our activities. Where applicable, we will handle children’s data in accordance with the requirements of applicable data protection law.

10 Cookies & Website Usage

Our website may use cookies, analytics, or similar technologies where required to operate, secure, understand, and improve the website.

Where third-party analytics or other technologies are used, their processing may also be governed by the respective provider’s privacy policies.

We will not intentionally use tracking technologies to sell users’ personal information to data brokers.

11 Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our activities, website functionality, applicable law, or data protection practices.

When we make material changes, we may update the “Last Updated” date and provide additional notice where appropriate.

12 Contact Us

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, wish to update or delete your registered details, or want to raise a privacy or data protection concern, please contact:

Swabalambi Odisha Secretariat
Email: contact@swabalambiodisha.org
Chapters: Bhubaneswar · Sambalpur · Bhadrak · Balasore

13 Applicable Data Protection Framework

Swabalambi Odisha is committed to responsible handling of personal data and to complying with applicable data protection requirements, including the:

Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act)

and applicable rules and regulations made under the Act, as they come into force and apply to the Initiative.

This Privacy Policy should be read together with any specific privacy notice provided at the point where personal information is collected.