Obligations & retention · DPDP S. 6(6), 8(7), 8(8) · Rule 8

Stop processing and erase on time, with proof.

"Stop using it" and "delete it" are two different duties under the Act. Promiz keeps them in two queues, starts the clock, warns you before deadlines, and closes a task only when your system confirms the work.

2
separate queues: stop processing and erase
3
levels of legal hold: organisation, purpose, consent
48 h
minimum notice before erasure, recorded as delivered or failed
Obligations2 overdue Withdrawals: stop processing W-2041 · Marketing · CRMConfirmed W-2047 · Analytics · Data lakeOverdue Erasures: delete at end of retention E-0913 · KYC · Core systemNotice sent · 36 h E-0915 · Loan file · DisputeLegal hold A task closes only when your system confirms back to Promiz.
Figure 1. The Obligations screen. Sample data.
What the law asks

What does the DPDP Act ask after consent ends?

The duty does not end when a person withdraws or when a purpose is served. The Act and Rule 8 set what you must stop, what you must erase, and what you must keep.

RequirementSourceWhat it meansHow Promiz helps
Stop processing after withdrawal S. 6(6) Within a reasonable time, stop processing and make your processors stop too. A stop-processing task with a confirmation deadline, and webhooks to your systems.
Erase when the purpose is served S. 8(7) Erase personal data when consent is withdrawn or the purpose is no longer served, unless another law needs it kept. Per-purpose retention clock that starts when the purpose is served or consent is withdrawn.
Keep data the law requires S. 8(7) Retention needed by another law is allowed. Legal-obligation bases raise a stop task, never an erasure task. Legal holds freeze the clock.
Inactivity erasure for large platforms S. 8(8) · Rule 8(1) · Third Schedule E-commerce and social media platforms with 2 crore or more users, and online gaming with 50 lakh or more, erase after 3 years of inactivity. Not live yet. See "What Promiz does not do today".
48-hour notice before that erasure Rule 8(2) Those platforms must tell the person at least 48 hours before erasure. Promiz sends notice at least 48 hours before every erasure and records if it was delivered.
Keep logs for one year Rule 8(3) Keep personal data, traffic data and processing logs for at least one year for the listed purposes. Set retention periods and legal holds so logs are not erased early.

Sources: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, sections 6(6), 8(7) and 8(8); DPDP Rules, 2025, Rule 8 and the Third Schedule. The 48-hour rule in law applies to Third Schedule erasures; Promiz applies it to all erasures.

In Promiz

How does an obligation move through Promiz?

Each obligation has an owner, a deadline and a proof of closure.

Obligation lifecycle TriggerWithdrawal orpurpose servedClockDeadline setHolds respectedWarnNotice ≥ 48 hDelivery recordedSyncWebhook sentto your systemsCloseSystem confirmsProof on record
Figure 2. From trigger to machine-confirmed closure.
  1. Step 1 A trigger opens the task

    A withdrawal opens a stop-processing task. The end of a retention period opens an erasure task.

  2. Step 2 The clock starts

    Promiz sets the deadline. Legal holds and legal-obligation bases pause or exclude it.

  3. Step 3 Promiz warns you

    At least 48 hours before erasure, Promiz sends notice and records whether it was delivered.

  4. Step 4 Your systems are told

    Signed webhooks tell your CRM and data systems what to stop or delete.

  5. Step 5 Your system confirms

    A machine-to-machine acknowledgement closes the task. A nightly job flags anything overdue.

Capabilities

What does the Obligations module give you?

Two queues, kept apart

Withdrawals and erasures carry different deadlines and different proof. Data you must keep by law stops being used without being deleted.

Per-purpose retention

Set how long data for each purpose may be kept. The clock starts when the purpose is served or consent is withdrawn.

Legal holds at three levels

Freeze the clock for the organisation, a purpose or one consent while a dispute or investigation is open.

Notice you can prove

Promiz records the notice actually delivered. A failed notice is recorded as a failure, never as notice given.

Machine-confirmed closure

Your system confirms deletion back to Promiz. Promiz cannot assert a deletion that did not happen.

Overdue escalation

A nightly job flags every task past its deadline. The menu badge counts overdue items only.

Re-consent cancels erasure

If the person consents again before deletion, the erasure task ends and a "Retention cancelled" event is sent.

Full audit trail

Every step, from trigger to closure, is logged end to end.

Compare

Why not track this in a spreadsheet?

Task Email, spreadsheets and a basic banner Promiz
Know when data must be erased Nobody owns the date Per-purpose clock with a deadline
Tell every system to stop Emails to teams Signed webhooks with retries
Prove deletion happened "Done" in a cell Machine acknowledgement from your system
Keep data the law needs Risk of deleting it Legal bases excluded; legal holds
Catch missed deadlines Found in an audit Nightly overdue alerts
FAQ

Obligations & retention: frequent questions

Not answered here? Ask us in a demo.

What is the difference between withdrawal and erasure under the DPDP Act?

Withdrawal means you must stop processing within a reasonable time (section 6(6)). Erasure means you must delete data when the purpose is served or consent is withdrawn, unless another law requires you to keep it (section 8(7)).

Does the 48-hour notice apply to every business?

In law, Rule 8(2) applies to the large platforms in the Third Schedule before an inactivity erasure. Promiz sends notice at least 48 hours before every erasure as good practice.

Can we keep data that RBI or tax law requires?

Yes, where another law requires it. In Promiz, a legal-obligation basis raises a stop-processing task, never an erasure task. You can also place a legal hold.

How does Promiz know data was deleted?

Your system sends a machine-to-machine acknowledgement to Promiz. Only that closes the erasure task.

Does Promiz handle the 3-year inactivity rule?

Not yet. Retention from customer inactivity is still being completed. Ask your Promiz contact what is live for your account.

Watch a withdrawal close with proof.

In 30 minutes we withdraw a consent, send the webhook and close the task with a machine confirmation.

Book a 30-minute demo We reply within 1 business day.

This page explains the law in plain words. It is not legal advice. Your legal team decides how the Act applies to you. Last reviewed 21 September 2026.