Data Retention Policy

Effective Date: 21 June 2026 Last Updated: 21 June 2026 Version: 1.0

Exactly how long we keep your data, why, and what happens when retention ends.

This Policy details retention periods for every category of personal data we hold. It operates with the Privacy Policy, the DPDPA 2023 Notice and the Account Deletion Policy.

The default rule is simple: we keep personal data only as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected for, or as long as Indian law requires it. Then we delete or anonymise.

#1. Retention by data category

#2. What "anonymised" means

When retention triggers anonymisation rather than deletion, we permanently and irreversibly:

• Replace full_name with Deleted user
• Replace email with deleted-<id>@anonymised.invalid
• NULL the photo URL, all address fields, GPS coordinates
• Replace primary_mobile with a one-way hash plus the last 4 digits
• Strip the user_id link from operational tables — the rows survive for tax / audit but cannot be tied back to you

After anonymisation, the records are no longer "personal data" under DPDPA §2(t) and the retention clock continues to run on the now-anonymous record purely for tax and audit purposes.

#3. What triggers deletion or anonymisation

Any of:

• You delete your account — see Account Deletion Policy. PII is anonymised immediately; the legal-retention clock continues on the anonymised records.
• Inactivity — if your account has had no logins, transactions or sessions for 24 months, we notify by email + SMS; if no response within 30 days, the account is moved to "dormant" and PII is anonymised. Tax records remain.
• Court order or legal direction — we comply with valid orders. We notify you unless legally barred.
• DPDPA §12 erasure request — we honour it within 30 days unless a longer retention basis applies; we tell you which records survive and why.

#4. Special retention exceptions

We hold data longer than the schedule above when:

• An active dispute, refund, chargeback or investigation is open
• A legal notice, summons, court order or regulatory enquiry references your account
• Your account is under suspension pending fraud investigation
• A tax / audit period is ongoing and unresolved

Once the trigger ends, the standard retention period resumes.

#5. How to request early deletion

You may request erasure at any time under DPDPA §12. The flow:

1. In-app: Profile → Settings → Account → Delete my account, or
2. Web: <https://gatimitra.com/delete-account-request>, or
3. Email: privacy@gatimitra.com

We acknowledge within 24 hours and complete the deletion within 30 days. Records we cannot delete (legal retention) are listed in our confirmation reply, with the date when each can be erased.

Detailed deletion flow: Account Deletion Policy.

#6. How to request a data export (portability)

DPDPA does not yet codify a portability right, but we provide one voluntarily.

Profile → Settings → Privacy → Download my data exports a single ZIP containing:

• Your profile JSON
• All orders / rides / parcels
• All wallet transactions and refunds
• All chat transcripts
• All photos / files you uploaded

The export is delivered to your registered email within 7 days. Available once every 90 days.

#7. Anonymised aggregates we retain forever

The following are not personal data and may be retained indefinitely for analytics, planning and reporting:

• Demand heatmaps (rides per cell per hour)
• Aggregate order volumes
• Fleet performance metrics
• Service-level reports

None of these contain identifiers.

#8. Records of processing

We maintain a Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) per DPDPA Rules. It is available to the DPB on request and to you in summary form via dpo@gatimitra.com.

#9. Audit & enforcement

This Policy is audited annually by an external auditor. The audit report's findings — without sensitive technical detail — are summarised in our annual transparency report.

#10. Change history

Owner: Privacy & Compliance — dpo@gatimitra.com