Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Data Controller Details

This Privacy Policy applies to the personal website, portfolio, and marketing consulting operations of Pratik Khambekar ("I", "me", "my", or "Consultant"), operating as an independent digital marketing and brand management consultant based in Thane, Maharashtra, India.

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India), I act as the Data Fiduciary for data collected via this website. For visitors residing in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, I act as the Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/UK GDPR).

Official Contact Email: pratikkhambekar1998@gmail.com

2. Personal Data Collected

I believe in data minimization. I only collect personal information that you intentionally provide or that is strictly necessary for technical stability:

• Direct Inquiries & Project Briefs: When you submit an inquiry through the Contact Form or start a conversation via WhatsApp, I collect your full name, email address, phone number, company name, estimated budget, timeline, and project description.
• Resume Downloads: When you download my professional resume (PDF), standard web server request headers (anonymized IP address, user agent) are logged transiently by Hostinger infrastructure for security and bandwidth metrics.
• Theme & UX Preferences: Your choice of dark or light theme is stored locally on your device in localStorage so the site remembers your visual preference upon return.
• Analytics & Engagement (Opt-in only): If consented, anonymous metrics such as page visits, referral sources, and case study scroll depth are processed to improve portfolio performance.

3. Legal Bases for Processing

I process your personal data under the following recognized legal grounds:

• Consent: When you submit an inquiry, request a proposal, or opt into analytics cookies (Section 6, DPDP Act 2023; Article 6(1)(a), GDPR).
• Contractual & Pre-Contractual Steps: Processing information required to provide consulting proposals, scope statements, or execute service agreements (Article 6(1)(b), GDPR).
• Legitimate Interests: Protecting the security, uptime, and integrity of this website against abusive traffic, spam submissions, or DDoS attempts (Article 6(1)(f), GDPR).

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

This website uses cookies and browser storage strictly to ensure functionality and measure anonymous engagement. We divide storage into three categories:

You can modify your consent settings anytime by clicking Configure Cookies or via the link in the footer.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Limited technical data is processed through trusted infrastructure:

• Hostinger International Ltd.: Web hosting provider hosting our encrypted static bundle and server logs.
• WhatsApp / Meta Platforms Inc.: When you initiate a chat via the floating WhatsApp widget, your messages and phone number are handled directly within WhatsApp subject to Meta's privacy policy.
• Google Workspace / Email: Inquiries sent via email are securely stored on Google Cloud infrastructure protected by two-factor authentication.

6. Data Retention & Security

Client inquiries and communication records are retained for the duration of the business relationship or up to 24 months from the last point of contact, after which they are securely archived or purged. Technical server logs are rotated on a 30-day rolling cycle.

This website enforces end-to-end SSL/TLS (HTTPS) encryption, strict HTTP security headers (HSTS, nosniff, SAMEORIGIN), and regular vulnerability audits to ensure your data is safeguarded from unauthorized interception.

7. Your Legal Rights (DPDP, GDPR & CCPA)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you hold enforceable rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access & Confirmation: Request confirmation of whether your data is being processed and obtain a copy.
• Right to Correction & Erasure: Rectify inaccurate personal data or request deletion ("Right to be Forgotten").
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Revoke consent for communications or cookie analytics at any time.
• Right of Grievance Redressal: Submit a complaint regarding data processing and receive a timely resolution.
• Right to Nominate: (Under DPDP Act 2023) Designate a representative in the event of incapacity.

9. Policy Updates

I may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect technical updates, statutory guidelines from the Data Protection Board of India, or global regulatory updates. Any material changes will be announced with an updated timestamp on this page.