Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Digital Book of India ("DBI", "we", "us") operates digitalbookofindia.com, a digital directory connecting local businesses in India with customers through business listings, search, and an interactive map. This policy explains what personal data we collect through the platform, why, and what choices you have. For any privacy question or request, contact us at contact@digitalbookofindia.com.

2. Information You Provide Directly

Depending on how you use DBI, you may provide:

• Account details: name, email address, phone number, and password when you register or sign in (including via Google Sign-In).
• Business listing details: business name, category, description, address, GPS location, contact numbers, business hours, and photos/gallery images you upload.
• Business verification data: GST number (verified through a government GST verification service) and identity/business documents you submit during registration.
• Aadhaar-based identity verification via DigiLocker, where you choose to complete this step, including a live facial capture used to match against your DigiLocker-linked identity document.
• Payment details processed for subscriptions, listing plans, or wallet top-ups (card/UPI/bank details are handled by our payment processor, Razorpay — DBI does not store your full card or bank credentials).
• Reviews, ratings, and any other content you choose to post about a business.
• Messages you send us through contact or support forms.

3. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the site, we and our service providers automatically collect:

• Usage data such as pages viewed, session duration, and referring page, collected through our own analytics and, where enabled, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager.
• Approximate or precise location, if you grant location permission, used to show nearby businesses on the map (powered by Mapbox) and to improve local search results.
• Device and log information such as browser type and IP address, standard for any web application.
• Cookies and local storage used to keep you signed in, remember your theme preference, maintain your cart, and measure site usage — see our Cookies Policy for details.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information above to:

• Create and administer your account and business listing.
• Verify business identity and legitimacy through GST and, where you opt in, Aadhaar/DigiLocker verification, so that listings on DBI are trustworthy.
• Process payments for plans, subscriptions, and wallet transactions.
• Operate search, the nearby-business map, and personalized recommendations.
• Send service-related communications (e.g. verification status, order confirmations, security alerts) and, where you have not opted out, product updates.
• Detect fraud, abuse, and fake listings or reviews, and enforce our Terms of Service.
• Understand aggregate usage patterns to improve the platform.

5. Sensitive Data: Aadhaar, DigiLocker & Biometric Verification

Identity verification through DigiLocker is optional and used specifically to confirm that a business owner is who they claim to be. Where this flow captures a facial photo for liveness/match verification, that image and the verification result are used only for that purpose. We do not sell this data, and access to it is restricted to the systems and personnel directly involved in processing verification.

6. Who We Share Information With

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with:

• Service providers who process data on our behalf: our hosting/database infrastructure, Razorpay (payments), Google (OAuth sign-in, Analytics, Tag Manager, Firebase), Mapbox (maps and geocoding), and the GST/DigiLocker verification services used during business registration.
• Other users, for the parts of your business listing and reviews that are, by design, publicly visible on the directory.
• Law enforcement or regulators, where required by Indian law.

7. Data Retention

We retain account and listing data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service, and for a reasonable period afterward to meet legal, accounting, or dispute-resolution obligations. Verification documents are retained only as long as necessary to complete and support the verification they relate to.

8. Your Rights and Choices

• You can review and update your account and business listing details from your profile at any time.
• You can request a copy of, correction to, or deletion of your personal data by contacting us.
• You can withdraw location permission at any time through your browser or device settings.
• You can opt out of non-essential cookies as described in our Cookies Policy.

9. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures — including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and secure storage — to protect your data. No online service can guarantee absolute security, and we encourage you to use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication where available on your account.

10. Children's Privacy

DBI is intended for business owners and consumers who can lawfully enter into agreements under Indian law. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the platform evolves. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

12. Contact Us

For any question about this policy or your data, contact us at contact@digitalbookofindia.com or via our Contact page.