1. Introduction

Padmaja Herbs & Foods Pvt. Ltd. (‘PHFPL’, ‘We’, ‘Us’, ‘Our’) operates the website padmajafoods.com (the ‘Platform’) and its associated brands Srilola, Haradin and Nufasal. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect from you, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights in relation to it. It applies to all users of our Platform – including retail customers, B2B enquiry submitters, job applicants, newsletter subscribers, and visitors.

By accessing or using our Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Registration and account information: Name, email address, mobile number, password (encrypted)
Order and delivery information: Billing address, shipping address, order history, payment method details (we do not store full card numbers -see Section 6)
Enquiry and contact form data: Name, company name, city, email, phone, message content, product interest
B2B / distributor / HoReCa form data: Business name, territory, turnover range, number of outlets, product requirements
Women Entrepreneur Programme applications: Personal background, business intent, financial access information -handled with heightened confidentiality
Newsletter subscriptions: Email address and communication preferences
Product reviews and ratings: Name (or display name) and review content

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and browser information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type
Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, links clicked, search queries on our Platform
Transaction data: Purchase history, cart activity, wishlist items
Cookies and similar tracking technologies: See Section 7 for full details

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Payment gateway providers: Transaction status and partial payment identifiers (not full card details)
Courier / logistics partners: Delivery status updates, proof of delivery
Social media platforms: If you choose to log in or interact with us via social media, we may receive basic profile information as permitted by your social media privacy settings

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

Order Fulfilment

Processing, packaging, dispatching and delivering your orders; sending order confirmation, dispatch and delivery notifications

Account Management

Creating and managing your customer account; enabling login and order history access

Customer Support

Responding to queries, complaints, return requests and feedback

B2B & Partnership Management

Processing distributor, retailer, HoReCa and export enquiries; following up on business leads

Marketing & Communication

Sending promotional emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages about new products, offers and campaigns – only where you have opted in or where permitted by applicable law

Platform Improvement

Analysing usage data to improve website performance, content, product listings and user experience

Legal Compliance

Fulfilling obligations under applicable Indian law, including the Information Technology Act, 2000, FSSAI regulations, and GST requirements

Fraud Prevention & Security

Detecting and preventing fraudulent transactions, unauthorised access and abuse of our Platform

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds under applicable Indian data protection law:

Contractual necessity: Processing required to fulfil your purchase order or service request
Consent: Where you have expressly opted in to receive marketing communications or submitted an application form
Legitimate interests: Improving our Platform, preventing fraud, responding to business enquiries
Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with Indian law or regulatory requirements

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers who process it on our behalf and under our instructions:

Payment gateways: [Razorpay] -for processing Credit/Debit Card, UPI and Wallet transactions securely
Cash on Delivery (COD) collection partners: Our courier partners collect COD payments on our behalf at the time of delivery
Courier and logistics partners: For dispatching and delivering orders
Email and SMS service providers: For transactional and marketing communications
Analytics providers: For Platform usage analysis (data is anonymised or aggregated where possible)

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal information when required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of PHFPL, its employees, customers or the public.

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our Platform before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers who process it on our behalf and under our instructions:

Payment gateways: [Razorpay] -for processing Credit/Debit Card, UPI and Wallet transactions securely
Cash on Delivery (COD) collection partners: Our courier partners collect COD payments on our behalf at the time of delivery
Courier and logistics partners: For dispatching and delivering orders
Email and SMS service providers: For transactional and marketing communications
Analytics providers: For Platform usage analysis (data is anonymised or aggregated where possible)

5.2 Legal Requirements

5.3 Business Transfers

6. Payment Security

All payment transactions on padmajafoods.com are processed through PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways. PHFPL does not store, access or process your full credit/debit card numbers, CVV or banking credentials. Payment data is handled entirely by our payment gateway partners in encrypted form.

All pages on our Platform are served over HTTPS (SSL/TLS encryption) to protect data transmitted between your browser and our servers.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

7.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our Platform. They help us provide a better browsing experience by remembering your preferences, keeping your cart active, and understanding how visitors use our Platform.

7.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

Required for the Platform to function (e.g. maintaining your session, keeping items in your cart). Cannot be disabled.

Performance Cookies

Collect anonymous data about how visitors use our Platform (e.g. Google Analytics). Help us improve the user experience.

Functional Cookies

Remember your preferences (e.g. language, location). Improve personalisation without tracking personal data.

Marketing Cookies

Used to show you relevant advertisements on third-party platforms (e.g. Meta Pixel, Google Ads). Only active where you have consented.

7.3 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our Platform. For detailed instructions, refer to your browser’s help documentation.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:

Order and transaction records: 7 years (as required under Indian accounting and tax law)
Customer account data: For the duration of your account’s existence, plus 2 years after account deletion
Marketing opt-in data: Until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe
B2B enquiry data: 3 years from the date of last contact
Women Entrepreneur Programme applications: 2 years from the date of application

9. Your Rights

As a user of our Platform, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent for marketing communications at any time by clicking ‘Unsubscribe’ in any email or contacting us directly
Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible
Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data for marketing purposes

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [sales@padmajafoods.com]. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not directed at children/individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a minor has provided us with their personal information, please contact us immediately.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites, social media pages or partner platforms. This Privacy Policy applies only to padmajafoods.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting any personal information.

12. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements or other factors. We will notify registered users by email and post the updated policy on this page with a revised effective date.