DPDP Consent Flow Workshop Checklist for Indian Businesses

DPDP Consent Flow Workshop Checklist

Establishing clear and compliant consent flows is central to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. This checklist provides a structured approach to auditing and improving your organisation's consent mechanisms, ensuring you respect data principal rights and minimise compliance risks.

Sushant Pasamarty, founder of Meridian Bridge Strategy, developed this checklist to guide Indian businesses through the critical stages of assessing and optimising their consent processes.

The DPDP Consent Flow Workshop Checklist

1. Phase 1: Discovery & Data Mapping (Alignment with MBS Data Mapping tier)
   • 1. Identify all data collection points: List every digital and physical touchpoint where personal data is collected (e.g., website forms, app registrations, offline surveys, call recordings).
     • Owner Role: CTO, Product Lead, Marketing Head
     • Time Estimate: 2-4 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Data Mapping (₹1.5L – ₹3L)
   • 2. Map data elements collected at each point: Detail specific personal data fields (e.g., name, email, phone, IP address, demographic data) for each collection point.
     • Owner Role: Data Steward, Product Manager
     • Time Estimate: 3-5 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Data Mapping (₹1.5L – ₹3L)
   • 3. Document the purpose of data processing: For each data element, clearly state the specific, legitimate purpose for which it is collected and processed.
     • Owner Role: Business Analyst, Legal Counsel
     • Time Estimate: 2-3 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Data Mapping (₹1.5L – ₹3L)
   • 4. Identify legal basis for processing (especially consent): Determine if consent is the appropriate legal basis, or if another ground (e.g., legitimate uses, vital interest) applies under DPDP.
     • Owner Role: Legal Counsel, Compliance Officer
     • Time Estimate: 2-3 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Data Mapping (₹1.5L – ₹3L)
2. Phase 2: Gap Analysis & Assessment (Alignment with MBS DPDP Readiness Audit tier)
   • 5. Review existing consent mechanisms: Assess current consent collection methods (e.g., checkboxes, pop-ups, terms & conditions acceptance) for clarity, granularity, and voluntariness.
     • Owner Role: Product Designer, Legal Counsel
     • Time Estimate: 3-5 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Readiness Audit (₹2L – ₹6L)
   • 6. Verify granular consent for multiple purposes: Check if separate consent is obtained for distinct processing purposes (e.g., marketing vs. service delivery).
     • Owner Role: Product Manager, Compliance Officer
     • Time Estimate: 2-4 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Readiness Audit (₹2L – ₹6L)
   • 7. Assess transparency of consent notices: Evaluate if consent notices are easily understandable, include identity of the Data Fiduciary, purpose of processing, and how to exercise data principal rights.
     • Owner Role: Legal Counsel, UX Designer
     • Time Estimate: 3-4 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Readiness Audit (₹2L – ₹6L)
   • 8. Confirm clear withdrawal mechanism: Ensure data principals can withdraw consent easily, and outline the process for ceasing processing upon withdrawal.
     • Owner Role: Engineering Lead, Customer Support Head
     • Time Estimate: 2-3 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Readiness Audit (₹2L – ₹6L)
   • 9. Document consent records and audit trail: Verify that your systems record consent (what, when, how) and allow for proof of consent.
     • Owner Role: IT Head, Compliance Officer
     • Time Estimate: 3-5 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Readiness Audit (₹2L – ₹6L)
3. Phase 3: Remediation & Roadmap (Alignment with MBS DPDP Workshop tier)
   • 10. Develop updated consent language: Draft new or revised consent notices and privacy policies to meet DPDP transparency and clarity requirements.
     • Owner Role: Legal Counsel, Marketing Head
     • Time Estimate: 4-6 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Workshop (₹5L – ₹10L)
   • 11. Design compliant consent interfaces: Create user-friendly interfaces (e.g., website/app UI) for obtaining, managing, and withdrawing consent.
     • Owner Role: UX Designer, Product Manager
     • Time Estimate: 5-7 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS DPDP Workshop (₹5L – ₹10L)
   • 12. Integrate consent management platform (CMP): Evaluate and integrate a CMP or build internal features to manage consent records and preferences effectively.
     • Owner Role: CTO, IT Head
     • Time Estimate: 1-2 weeks
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Full DPDP Consulting (₹7L – ₹12L)
   • 13. Train relevant teams on new consent procedures: Educate customer-facing, marketing, and product teams on handling consent, withdrawal requests, and data principal queries.
     • Owner Role: HR Head, Compliance Officer
     • Time Estimate: 3-5 days
     • Cost (external help): Included in MBS Full DPDP Consulting (₹7L – ₹12L)
   • 14. Establish ongoing review and monitoring: Implement a schedule for regular review of consent flows and policies to ensure continued compliance.
     • Owner Role: Compliance Officer, DPO
     • Time Estimate: Ongoing (monthly/quarterly)
     • Cost (external help): Part of MBS Full DPDP Consulting (₹7L – ₹12L)

What This DPDP Consent Flow Workshop Costs

Implementing a robust DPDP consent flow can involve internal effort or external expert assistance. The cost depends on your organisation's complexity and the depth of support required.

DIY Approach

If your internal team has a strong understanding of DPDP and sufficient bandwidth, you can manage many of these checklist items internally. This primarily incurs personnel costs and potentially tooling expenses.

MBS Productized Services

Meridian Bridge Strategy offers structured services that align with these checklist phases. Sushant Pasamarty and the MBS team provide the expertise to efficiently implement these requirements.

Next Step: Tailor Your DPDP Consent Plan

This checklist provides a framework. The specific effort and cost for your business will vary based on your data ecosystem and existing compliance maturity. Sushant Pasamarty recommends using our free calculator to get an initial estimate for your DPDP compliance journey.