Introduction 

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023 places strong emphasis on lawful, informed and verifiable consent as the foundation for processing personal data in India. To support this requirement, the Act introduces a specialised category of entities known as Consent Managers. These entities play a critical role in strengthening user autonomy, enabling secure consent operations and facilitating transparent data-processing interactions between Data Principals and Data Fiduciaries. 

This blog explains what the DPDPA says about Consent Managers, what these entities are intended to do, and how GoTrust provides a Consent Manager capability for organisations seeking compliance-ready consent operations. 

What the DPDPA Says About Consent Managers 

The DPDPA formally recognises Consent Managers as entities registered with the Data Protection Board to manage, store and communicate consent on behalf of Data Principals. The Act positions them as trusted intermediaries that: 

• Enable Data Principals to review, provide, withdraw or manage consent in a unified and accessible manner 

• Facilitate secure and authenticated communication of consent between Data Principals and Data Fiduciaries 

• Operate under regulatory oversight, including obligations relating to transparency, security, accuracy and accountability 

• Ensure compliance with prescribed technical and organisational standards 

• Provide consent-related interfaces that are user-friendly, standardised and interoperable 

Their role is to simplify the consent lifecycle while ensuring that individuals maintain meaningful control over their personal data. 

What Consent Managers Are 

A Consent Manager functions as a neutral, standards-aligned consent management intermediary. Its primary role is to act as a unified consent governance layer that: 

• Collects explicit and informed consent from individuals 

• Authenticates the identity of the Data Principal before consent actions 

• Securely stores consent preferences and associated metadata 

• Transmits consent decisions to Data Fiduciaries in a structured format 

• Maintains records of consent actions for audit, accountability and regulatory compliance 

• Enables withdrawal of consent as easily as it is given 

• Provides an accessible dashboard for individuals to track and manage their data-processing permissions 

In practical terms, a Consent Manager provides individuals with a single point of control for all their data-processing consents across multiple organisations, ensuring clarity, portability and uniformity in how consent is captured and exercised. 

How GoTrust Provides a Consent Manager Capability 

GoTrust offers an integrated Consent Management module designed to align with the DPDPA’s principles while enabling organisations to operationalise consent governance at scale. The platform provides: 

1. A Unified Consent Operations Layer 

A structured interface where Data Principals can grant, review and withdraw consent, with each action captured in a transparent and traceable manner. 

2. Consent Capture and Authentication 

The system collects informed, unbundled and purpose-specific consent, supports authentication workflows and records essential metadata such as timestamps, purposes and processing conditions. 

3. Real-Time Consent Communication 

Consent updates are transmitted to the Data Fiduciary’s environment instantly, ensuring that decisions made by the Data Principal are accurately reflected in downstream business processes. 

4. Consent Revocation and Preference Management 

Withdrawal of consent is supported with equal ease, ensuring compliance with the DPDPA’s requirement for reversible and user-centric consent practices. 

5. Secure Records and Audit Readiness 

Every consent event is stored securely and retained in an audit-ready structure, supporting accountability, internal reviews and regulatory inspections. 

6. Integration With User Interfaces 

The solution allows organisations to integrate consent banners, preference centres and consent flows directly into their applications or websites. 

Together, these capabilities allow organisations to deliver a DPDPA-aligned consent experience driven by transparency, accuracy and user empowerment. 

Conclusion 

Consent Managers form a critical part of the DPDPA’s broader accountability framework. They are designed to enhance trust, promote user autonomy and ensure that the consent lifecycle is handled with clarity and regulatory compliance. 

By offering a structured, secure and interoperable consent-governance environment, GoTrust enables organisations to operationalise the Consent Manager model effectively and responsibly.