India, July 17 -- India's data protection law is no longer a can that companies can kick down the road. With the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules now on a phased rollout, startups have just over four months until the first compliance milestone and around 10 months until the law fully comes into effect.

The penalties for non-compliance are severe, so it's no surprise that companies are scrambling to get set for the new reality.

Come November 13, the Consent Manager framework will get into effect. Once this happens, the Data Protection Board, an independent adjudicatory body established under the Act, can begin registering Consent Managers.

These are regulated intermediaries that allow users to give, review and withdraw cons...