DPDP Glossary

Personal Data

Any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data.

Section 2(t)

What it means

Section 2(t) defines personal data as any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data. Identifiability is the hinge: data that can identify someone alone or in combination with other information you hold or can access. The Act’s application then focuses on digital personal data within Section 3.

Worked example

A customer ID that can be linked to a name and phone number in your CRM is personal data about that Data Principal. An aggregated dashboard metric with no reasonable path back to an individual is less likely to be personal data — but “we hashed it” is not automatic anonymisation if re-identification remains practical.

In practice

Run data-mapping with an identifiability test, not a gut feel about “sensitive-looking” fields only. Pair with Digital Personal Data for scope and Processing for what you do with it.

Source

Section 2(t) · Official text (PDF)

Educational summary based on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Rules, 2025. Not legal advice.

Further reading

Digital Personal DataPersonal data in digital form, including personal data collected in non-digital form and digitised subsequently, within the Act’s application.Data PrincipalThe individual to whom the personal data relates.ProcessingA wholly or partly automated operation or set of operations performed on digital personal data, including collection, storage, use and sharing.

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