JOIN USThe government is ready with the draft of the personal data protection law, and it may allow data mobility overseas based upon reciprocity, IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Friday.
"India will uphold its data sovereignty. That will not be negotiable. I do acknowledge that some degree of data movement is important in a digital world but that will be based upon reciprocity and understanding," Prasad said at a Confederation of Indian Industries event here.
"Data is going to become an important area of growth, commerce and vulnerable area of dispute. Data protection law we have finalised. I will take it to the cabinet. I feel data anonymity should also be kept in focus. Anybody, Indian or international, seeking to indulge in data commerce will have to follow the rules of the game," Prasad said.
The draft of Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 — which is based on the recommendations of the government-constituted high-level panel headed by Justice B N Srikrishna — restricts and imposes conditions on the cross-border transfer of personal data, and suggests setting up of Data Protection Authority of India to prevent any misuse of personal information.
The minister reiterated his aim to grow India's digital economy to $ 1 trillion in next 4-5 years.