The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India is set to release the rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 for consultation soon, as announced by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The DPDP Act, a long-awaited data protection law, was given presidential assent on August 12 last year, but implementation has been delayed due to pending rules.
The minister emphasized that the drafting of DPDP Rules is in an advanced stage and consultations with industry stakeholders will commence. The goal is to ensure extensive consultations are conducted before finalizing the rules, similar to the process followed for the Telecom Bill and the DPDP Act.
Vaishnaw highlighted that the entire implementation process will be digital by design, with a Data Protection Board functioning as a “digital office” to handle personal data breaches. Parallelly, a digital platform for the Data Protection Board is being developed within MeitY.
Furthermore, the minister stressed the importance of DPDP rules, stating that they are the current priority for the government. He also expressed the government’s commitment to doubling employment and production in the electronics manufacturing sector during the NDA 3.0 term.
Regarding semiconductor manufacturing, Vaishnaw provided updates on the progress of various projects in Gujarat and Assam. He mentioned that the state governments are fully supporting these initiatives to house workers and provide necessary infrastructure.
In conclusion, the minister outlined the government’s strategy to achieve self-reliance in manufacturing, emphasizing the shift towards export-oriented manufacturing. He also mentioned the importance of developing a local components ecosystem while scaling up the electronics industry as a whole.
