MESSAGING IN INDIA
🇮🇳 WhatsApp messaging rules in India.
The rules that matter when you send WhatsApp marketing, sales and service messages to people in India, in plain English, checked 28 September 2026.
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Illustrative example. Names and details are made up.
The laws.
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025
- Meta’s WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy
- TRAI rules for SMS and voice (not WhatsApp)
THE RULES
What they mean for WhatsApp.
| Rule | What it means for WhatsApp |
|---|---|
| Consent | Consent must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous, with an itemised notice, and as easy to withdraw as to give. |
| Timing | The DPDP Rules were notified on 13 November 2025. The consent manager framework starts on 13 November 2026, and the main obligations on 13 May 2027. |
| Processors | Businesses must use processors like ConvoHut only under a valid contract, and remain responsible for the data. |
| Security and breaches | Reasonable security safeguards and breach reporting to the Data Protection Board and affected people once the obligations commence. |
| SMS rules | TRAI’s DLT rules apply to SMS and voice, not to WhatsApp messages. If you also send SMS, use DLT. |
| Until 2027 | Until the DPDP obligations commence, the IT Act’s section 43A and the SPDI Rules 2011 continue to apply to sensitive personal data. |
RISK
Enforcement.
Penalties under the DPDP Act can reach ₹250 crore per type of breach.
META
Plus Meta’s rules, everywhere.
- Opt-in: people must agree to receive WhatsApp messages from your business, and the opt-in must name your business.
- Templates: messages you start outside a customer’s 24-hour window must use approved templates.
- Opt-outs: respect requests to stop, made on WhatsApp or anywhere else.
- A human: give people a way to reach a person.
- No sensitive data requests: never ask for full card numbers, bank account numbers or ID numbers in the chat.
IN THE PRODUCT
How ConvoHut helps.
HOW CONVOHUT HELPS
- A compliance review for each market before an automation or campaign goes live, covering consent, an unsubscribe option in the template and your sender details.
- Every contact has a consent status, visible in the inbox next to the conversation.
- Opt-outs stop journeys for that contact and exclude them from future marketing messages.
- Quiet hours by market, so messages aren’t sent in the middle of the night.
- A confirmation step before any campaign is sent, with the Meta cost shown first.
ConvoHut’s checks help you follow the rules. They don’t replace your own legal obligations, and you’re responsible for the consent you collect and the messages you send.
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