Technology Law Services in India

India does not yet have a single, consolidated technology code. Instead, digital businesses operate under a layered framework built primarily around two statutes: the Information Technology Act, 2000, which governs electronic transactions, cybercrime, and intermediary liability, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which governs how personal data is collected, processed, and protected. Sector-specific regulations -- from Reserve Bank of India guidelines for fintech platforms to consumer protection rules for e-commerce -- layer additional obligations on top of these two core statutes.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 remains the foundational statute for online activity in India. It gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures, criminalizes offences such as unauthorized access, data theft, and cyber fraud under provisions like Sections 43 and 66, and -- critically for platforms that host user content -- sets out an intermediary liability framework under Section 79. An intermediary that observes the due diligence obligations prescribed under the IT Rules, including a functioning grievance-redressal mechanism, retains safe-harbour protection from liability for content posted by its users.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is India's first comprehensive data protection law. It requires organizations classified as "data fiduciaries" to obtain free, specific, and informed consent before processing personal data, to process data only for the purpose for which consent was given, to implement reasonable security safeguards, and to notify the Data Protection Board and affected individuals in the event of a personal data breach. Non-compliance can attract significant financial penalties, making early compliance a commercial priority and not just a legal formality.

The two statutes also work together operationally. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) requires certain categories of cyber incidents to be reported within a fixed window of becoming aware of them, while the DPDP Act separately requires the Data Protection Board to be notified of a personal data breach -- a single security incident involving personal data can therefore trigger reporting obligations under both regimes at once, which is why an incident-response plan needs to be built around both statutes rather than either one in isolation.

Launching a digital product or platform in India involves more than writing code. A handful of legal foundations, put in place before launch, materially reduce a business's exposure to regulatory action, IP disputes, and user claims later on.

Technology law rarely stands alone -- most engagements draw on one or more of our other specialist practices. Explore the services below for a closer look at how we support the intellectual property, funding, and compliance needs of technology businesses.