India DPDP & DCPP Practitioner Guide 2026 with Apoorva Sharma

An unofficial 583-page practitioner guide to India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act and Rules, with a complete study module for the DSCI DCPP examination, by Mumbai lawyer Apoorva Sharma.

This India DPDP Act practitioner guide is a 583-page unofficial book on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, written by Apoorva Sharma, a lawyer based in Mumbai, India. Its 37 chapters cover the Act section by section, the Rules and their three commencement dates (13 November 2025, 13 November 2026 and 13 May 2027), and the practical work of building a compliance programme. A complete study module for the DSCI Certified Privacy Professional (DCPP) examination runs through the book, mapped to the ten publicly available syllabus areas. It is delivered as PDF and editable DOCX.

Key facts

• Author: Apoorva Sharma, lawyer, Mumbai, India
• Subject: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025; DSCI DCPP examination
• Edition: 2026 edition (October 2026); law stated as at 1 October 2026
• Length: 583 pages, 37 chapters in five parts, six appendices
• Format: PDF + editable DOCX (Word), instant download
• Price: ₹2,500 / US$29

What is the DPDP Act, and what is the DCPP exam?

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 received Presidential assent on 11 August 2023. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 were notified on 13 November 2025 and commence in phases: the provisions establishing the Data Protection Board of India applied immediately, Consent Manager registration (Rule 4) applies from 13 November 2026, and the operative duties of Data Fiduciaries, including notice, consent, security, breach intimation, rights and children's data, apply from 13 May 2027.

The DSCI Certified Privacy Professional (DCPP) is a certification of the Data Security Council of India, the industry body set up by NASSCOM. DSCI publishes a 60% pass mark, a three-year validity and a multiple-choice format with no negative marking. DSCI's own pages do not confirm the question count, so the book's mock format of 75 questions is a study device, not a statement of the live format. Check DSCI's portal for current fees, eligibility and rules.

Who is this DPDP guide for?

• Privacy, compliance and legal professionals building or running a DPDP programme ahead of 13 May 2027.
• Candidates preparing for the DSCI DCPP examination by self-study.
• Lawyers, consultants, auditors and product managers who need a working knowledge of Indian data protection alongside the GDPR and other regimes.
• Teams in financial services, healthcare, telecom, e-commerce, gaming, edtech and IT services exports.

What's inside?

• India DPDP Act and Rules: A Practitioner Guide, 2026 edition, 583 pages, PDF.
• The same book as an editable DOCX (Word) file.
• A Start Here guide with the part map, 4-, 6- and 8-week reading plans and the disclaimer.

What does the book cover?

• Part I, Foundations (Ch 1–4): privacy concepts and the global evolution of data protection; privacy in India from Kharak Singh through Puttaswamy; business and societal drivers; privacy principles, including the OECD principles and Privacy by Design.
• Part II, Privacy laws around the world (Ch 5–9): a framework for analysing privacy laws; the GDPR and the European model; the United States and other jurisdictions; communications, surveillance and bodily privacy; trans-border data flows.
• Part III, The DPDP Act and Rules (Ch 10–24): architecture and the phased road to 13 May 2027; scope and definitions; notice (section 5, Rule 3); consent; certain legitimate uses (section 7); Consent Managers; accountability, security safeguards and processors; personal data breach intimation (section 8(6), Rule 7); accuracy, retention, erasure and grievance redressal; children and persons with disabilities; Significant Data Fiduciaries; rights and duties of Data Principals; cross-border transfers and exemptions; the Data Protection Board, penalties, voluntary undertakings and appeals; the Act alongside other Indian laws.
• Part IV, Privacy in practice (Ch 25–36): platforms and the tracking ecosystem; privacy-enhancing technologies; the information lifecycle; building a privacy programme; privacy impact assessment and risk; third parties and contracts; incident response; a week-by-week compliance roadmap to 13 May 2027; sector playbooks for financial services, healthcare, telecom, consumer platforms, employers and service exporters; artificial intelligence and personal data; an integrated case study of a fictional payment aggregator.
• Part V (Ch 37): DCPP exam strategy, the numbers and traps that cost marks, and a 30-question diagnostic set with answers.
• Appendices: 18 templates and checklists (notices, consent flows, DPIA headings, processor clauses, breach intimations, retention schedules); a quick reference to the Act, Rules, Schedules and penalties; a commencement timeline; a DPDP, SPDI and GDPR comparison; 50 frequently asked questions; an annual compliance calendar and a DPO's first 100 days. Then a 247-term glossary, ten DCPP area summary sheets, a bibliography of primary sources and an index.

Every chapter opens with learning objectives and closes with key terms, a summary and check questions. Worked examples run through fictional organisations, including a payment aggregator, an NBFC, a clinic chain, a gaming platform, an e-commerce marketplace, an edtech platform, a telecom operator and an HR SaaS provider.

Does the book include practice questions?

Yes. Every chapter closes with check questions, and Chapter 37 includes a 30-question diagnostic. All questions are original. For full-length practice, the DPDP and DCPP Kit (Book + Mock Exams) adds an 85-page volume with a 144-question chapter bank and two 75-question mock exams, for ₹3,200 / US$39.

Who wrote this guide?

Apoorva Sharma is a lawyer based in Mumbai, India, with more than eight years of experience in data privacy (including India's Digital Personal Data Protection framework), Trust and Safety, and commercial and regulatory work at Uber, Junglee Games (Flutter Entertainment) and Adfactors PR.

Format and delivery

• Instant download after purchase: one ZIP file (about 2.5 MB).
• Searchable, printable PDF and an editable DOCX (Word) version.
• Text-only; no video is included.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official DSCI or DCPP study guide?

No. It is an independent, unofficial guide and study aid written by Apoorva Sharma. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by DSCI, NASSCOM, MeitY or the Data Protection Board of India. Nothing in it is drawn from DSCI courseware or examination items.

Does it follow the DCPP syllabus?

Yes. The ten areas of DSCI's publicly available DCPP table of contents are used as a topic map, and the Introduction shows which chapters cover each area. The DCPP Area Summary Sheets at the back condense each area for revision.

Should I buy the Book or the Book + Mock Exams kit?

Choose the Book for the full text, templates and reference material. Choose the kit if you also want 294 original practice questions, including two timed 75-question mock exams with explanations and area score sheets.

Will the book stay current as the law develops?

The text states the law as at 1 October 2026 and flags points that depend on future notifications, including Significant Data Fiduciary designations and any country restrictions under section 16. Readers should check the Gazette and the Board's site for later developments.

Disclaimer

Unofficial study guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Data Security Council of India, NASSCOM, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or the Data Protection Board of India. DSCI, DCPP and DSCI Certified Privacy Professional are marks of their owners. All practice questions are original; no result is guaranteed. The material is educational and is not legal advice.