Privacy Policy.

Zapulse Business Consulting, a market research and software development company based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India ("Zapulse," "we," "our," or "us"), is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal data. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how we collect, use, store, protect, and disclose personal data when you interact with our website www.zapulse.com ("Website"), purchase our reports, or engage our research, consulting, or software development services.

Zapulse processes personal data in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India) ("DPDP Act") and, where applicable to clients and individuals in other jurisdictions, the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") and the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA").

By accessing or using our Website or services, or by providing your personal data to us, you acknowledge and agree to the collection and use of your personal data in accordance with this Policy.

1. Who This Policy Applies To.

This Policy applies to:

• Visitors to the Zapulse Website;
• Clients and prospective clients purchasing Ready-Made Reports or engaging our research, consulting, or software services;
• Participants in our primary research studies, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups;
• Job applicants, interns, and candidates in our hiring processes; and
• Partners, vendors, and third-party service providers who interact with us.

2. Personal Data We Collect.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

A. Identification and contact information

• Name, email address, phone number, postal address;
• Job title, company or organization name.

B. Transactional data

• Order and purchase history, including Ready-Made Report purchases;
• Billing information and invoices;
• Payment confirmation records. Online payments are processed by third-party payment gateways; Zapulse does not collect or store your card or banking details.

C. Technical data

• IP address, browser type, device identifiers, operating system;
• Usage data describing how you interact with the Website;
• Cookies and similar technologies used for analytics and advertising, as detailed in our Cookie Policy.

D. Communication and marketing data

• Correspondence with us by email, phone, WhatsApp, or Website forms;
• Marketing preferences, newsletter subscriptions, and responses to our communications;
• Feedback, reviews, and enquiry details.

E. Research participant data

Where you take part in a Zapulse primary research study (survey, interview, focus group, or usability test): your responses, opinions, and any demographic or professional details you choose to share, collected with your consent at the time of participation.

F. Recruitment data

Where you apply for a role or internship with Zapulse: your CV, educational and employment history, assessment results, and interview records.

G. Sensitive personal data

Zapulse does not intentionally collect sensitive personal data such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, or financial account credentials. If a research study requires any such category, we will inform you and seek your explicit consent before collection.

3. How We Collect Your Data.

A. Directly from you

• When you purchase a Ready-Made Report or place an enquiry through the Website;
• When you contact us by email, phone, WhatsApp, or a Website form;
• When you participate in a survey, interview, or other research study;
• When you subscribe to our newsletter or download our content;
• When you apply for a role with us.

B. Automatically

Through cookies, the Meta Pixel, the LinkedIn Insight Tag, and Google Analytics as you browse the Website, subject to your consent choices in the cookie banner.

C. From third parties and public sources

• From payment gateways confirming your transaction;
• From publicly available professional sources (such as company websites, directories, and professional networks) where legally permissible, for business development and research purposes.

4. How We Use Your Personal Data.

A. Service delivery

• To process orders, deliver Ready-Made Reports, and perform research, consulting, and software engagements;
• To provide customer support and respond to enquiries;
• To manage client relationships, invoicing, and engagement records.

B. Research

To conduct primary research studies you have consented to participate in. Research responses are reported to our clients in aggregated or anonymized form unless you have expressly consented to attributed use.

C. Legal compliance

• To meet obligations under tax, accounting, and other applicable laws;
• To resolve disputes, enforce our Terms and Conditions, and prevent fraud.

D. Marketing and business development

To send you newsletters, insights, and relevant offers, with your consent where required. You can opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.

E. Website improvement and security

• To analyse Website usage and improve content, performance, and user experience;
• To monitor for and prevent unauthorized access, fraud, or misuse.

5. Legal Basis for Processing.

Where the GDPR or similar laws apply, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Consent: for example, marketing communications and research participation;
• Contractual necessity: to deliver reports and services you have purchased or engaged;
• Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and regulations;
• Legitimate interests: to improve our services, secure our systems, and conduct proportionate business development, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Under the DPDP Act, we process personal data on the basis of your consent or for legitimate uses recognized by the Act.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosures.

Zapulse does not sell or rent your personal data. We may share personal data only in these situations:

• Service providers: trusted third parties that support our operations, including cloud hosting providers (such as Amazon Web Services), payment gateways, email and communication tools, and analytics and advertising platforms (Google, Meta, LinkedIn), under contractual confidentiality and data protection obligations;
• Clients (research outputs): aggregated or anonymized research findings; individual research responses are shared in attributable form only with your consent;
• Legal requirements: where disclosure is required by law, regulation, or a lawful request by public authorities;
• Business transfers: in the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to this Policy;
• With your consent: any other sharing you expressly agree to.

7. Zapulse as a Data Processor.

Where Zapulse builds, hosts, or maintains software platforms for clients, we may process personal data belonging to our clients' end users. In these engagements, the client is the data controller (or data fiduciary under the DPDP Act) and Zapulse acts as a data processor, handling that data strictly per the client's instructions and the applicable services agreement. Clients are responsible for ensuring their own lawful basis, notices, and consents for the data they ask us to process. Data processing terms, security measures, and breach notification procedures for such engagements are set out in the relevant services agreement.

8. Cross-Border Data Transfers.

Zapulse is based in India and serves clients internationally. Personal data may be stored or processed on cloud infrastructure located outside your country. Where we transfer personal data of individuals in the EEA or UK, we use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses. Transfers of personal data from India are made in accordance with the DPDP Act and rules notified under it.

9. Data Retention.

We retain personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described in this Policy or as required by law:

• Transactional and billing data: retained as required under Indian tax and accounting laws;
• Enquiry and marketing data: retained until you opt out or ask us to delete it;
• Research participant data: identifiable responses are retained for up to 12 months after study completion for quality checks and validation, after which they are anonymized or deleted;
• Recruitment data: retained for the duration of the hiring process and up to 6 months thereafter, unless you consent to being considered for future roles.

When personal data is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymize it securely.

10. Data Security.

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS) and, where applicable, at rest;
• Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel;
• Hosting on reputable cloud infrastructure with security and backup practices;
• Internal confidentiality obligations for employees and contractors.

No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please also protect any credentials you use to interact with our services.

11. Your Rights.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights over your personal data:

Under the DPDP Act (India)

• Right to access a summary of your personal data and processing activities;
• Right to correction and erasure of your personal data;
• Right to grievance redressal;
• Right to nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity;
• Right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing already carried out.

Under the GDPR (EEA/UK individuals)

Rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and objection (including to direct marketing), and the right to withdraw consent.

Under the CCPA (California residents)

Rights to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of personal data (Zapulse does not sell personal data), without discrimination for exercising these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 13. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

12. Changes to This Policy.

We may update this Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The current version will always be available on this page, with the effective date shown at the top. Significant changes will be highlighted on the Website.

13. Contact and Grievance Redressal.

If you have questions about this Policy or wish to exercise your rights, contact:

We aim to acknowledge complaints promptly and resolve them within the timelines prescribed under applicable law.