Under Section 16 of the DPDP Act, personal data can be transferred outside India except to countries the central government restricts by notification. Rule 15 adds that transfers must meet any requirements the government specifies by order. Significant Data Fiduciaries may have to keep specified data in India. Stricter sector rules still apply, such as the RBI's requirement to store payment system data only in India.
- Approach
- Allowed unless restricted
- Restricted countries
- None notified as of Oct 2026
- Sector rules
- RBI, SEBI, IRDAI can be stricter
What to do
- List vendors and group companies that receive data outside India (cloud, CRM, email, support tools).
- Put data protection clauses in each contract.
- Watch for government notifications restricting countries, and orders under Rule 15.
- Check your sector regulator: payment data must be stored only in India under the RBI's 2018 directive, and insurance and securities regulators have their own requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use foreign cloud services under DPDP?
Yes, unless the government restricts transfers to that country or your sector regulator requires local storage. Bind the provider by contract to protect the data.
More DPDP Act guides
- DPDP Act (DPDPA), 2023: complete guide
- DPDP compliance checklist
- DPDPA 2027 compliance: deadline and roadmap
- Does the DPDP Act apply to my business?
- DPDP Act penalties
- Consent and privacy notice under DPDP
- Data breach reporting under DPDP (72 hours)
- Significant Data Fiduciary (SDF)
- Data Protection Officer (DPO) under DPDP
- Children's data and parental consent
- DPDP Act vs GDPR
- DPDP and marketing (email, WhatsApp, calls)
- Employee and HR data under DPDP
- Data Principal rights and requests
- Data retention and erasure under DPDP
- DPDP compliance cost in India
See all deadlines on the compliance calendar, or browse the compliance hub.
This guide is general information based on the law as of 25 October 2026, not legal advice. Rules and dates can change by notification; speak to a professional about your situation.