StockSaathi Privacy Policy

What StockSaathi does

StockSaathi answers a shop's customers when they ask whether an item is in stock and what it costs, using the shop's own item and price list. Customers can ask on WhatsApp, or by calling the shop — if nobody picks up, the call is forwarded to the StockSaathi AI agent, which answers the enquiry by voice. It also tells the shop owner what customers have been asking for.

Call forwarding and calls answered by the AI agent

StockSaathi can answer calls through call forwarding set up on the shop's own number with its telecom operator. When a call goes unanswered, is busy, or cannot be reached, the operator forwards it to a number operated for StockSaathi and the AI agent answers it. Because of this:

• Only calls the shop does not answer reach the AI agent. Calls the shop picks up itself are not forwarded and are not processed by us.
• Callers are told at the start of the call that they are speaking to an automated assistant answering on the shop's behalf.
• If a caller does not wish to continue with the assistant, they may hang up and contact the shop directly.
• Call forwarding may attract charges from the shop's telecom operator, which are between the shop and that operator.

Call recording and transcripts

Calls answered by the AI agent are recorded and transcribed so that the enquiry can be understood, answered, and reported to the shop owner. The caller is informed at the start of the call. A caller who does not consent to this may end the call. Recordings and transcripts are kept only as long as needed to operate the service and meet legal obligations, and a caller may ask for the recording of their call to be deleted using the contact details below.

Two kinds of people, two roles

• The shop that subscribes decides which items and prices are loaded and what is done with customer enquiries. For its customers' personal data, the shop is the Data Fiduciary and Sonkawade Labs is the Data Processor acting on its instructions.
• Customers who message the shop on WhatsApp provide the enquiry itself.

Information we may process

• The customer's phone number and WhatsApp messaging identifiers.
• Message content sent by the customer, including the item asked for and any quantity or delivery details they mention.
• Call audio and its written transcript, and the time, duration and outcome of the call, for calls answered by the AI agent.
• The shop's item names, stock quantities and prices, synced from the accounting or billing software the shop already uses.
• The shop owner's contact details and account information.
• Technical logs required for delivery, sync reliability and abuse prevention.

How we use the information

• To match a customer's enquiry against the shop's item list and reply with availability and price, whether the enquiry arrived by message or on a forwarded call.
• To send the shop owner summaries of enquiries, including items customers asked for that were out of stock.
• To keep the shop's item and price data in step with its own software.
• To monitor abuse, errors, delivery failures and service reliability.

Business data from the shop's own software

StockSaathi reads item, stock and price records from the software the shop already uses, so that answers match what is actually in stock. This is the shop's own business data. We use it only to operate StockSaathi for that shop, we keep it separate from every other shop's data, and we do not use it to answer another shop's customers.

WhatsApp and Meta platform usage

StockSaathi uses the WhatsApp Business Platform to receive customer messages and send replies. Messages sent over WhatsApp are also subject to Meta's own terms and privacy policy.

AI processing

Enquiry text, and call audio and transcripts where a call was answered by the AI agent, are sent to third-party AI and speech providers to work out which item is being asked for, compose a reply, and convert speech to text and text back to speech. These providers process the content to return a response and act under contract.

Storage, security and location of processing

• Data is stored on cloud infrastructure used to operate the service, including database and hosting providers engaged by Sonkawade Labs. Processing takes place in India and, where a provider operates outside India, in that provider's regions under contractual safeguards.
• We use reasonable safeguards such as access controls, encryption in transit, encryption at rest where configured, environment-based credentials and audit logging.
• No method of storage or transmission is completely risk free. You remain responsible for securing your own devices, accounts and credentials.
• The sonkawadelabs.in website itself does not set cookies and does not run analytics or advertising trackers. Web fonts are loaded from a third-party CDN, which may receive your IP address as part of a normal web request.

Third-party sharing policy

We share personal data only where reasonably necessary with:

• Service providers acting for service delivery — hosting, database, messaging, telephony, speech and AI processing providers, and support vendors.
• Cashfree Payments, our payment partner, for any payment made for the service. Card and bank details are entered on Cashfree's own checkout and are not stored by Sonkawade Labs.
• Regulators, courts, law enforcement or government bodies where disclosure is required by law or lawful order.
• A lawful successor in the event of a merger, acquisition or business transfer, subject to applicable safeguards.

We do not sell personal data to third parties.

Data retention

We retain data only as long as reasonably necessary to operate StockSaathi, troubleshoot issues, satisfy legal obligations, and handle deletion or support requests. Security logs, payment references and compliance records may be retained longer where needed to protect lawful interests or satisfy a legal obligation.

Legal basis and Indian law

We process data on the basis of your consent, our customer's instructions, the requirements of delivering the service you asked for, legitimate uses permitted under applicable Indian law, and compliance obligations. This Policy is to be read with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

Consent and withdrawal (DPDP Act, 2023)

• By messaging a shop that uses StockSaathi, or by continuing with a forwarded call after the automated assistant has identified itself, you consent to the processing of your phone number, your message or call audio and transcript, and the details you provide, for the purpose of answering your enquiry and informing the shop about it.
• You may withdraw consent at any time, as easily as it was given, by ending the call, or replying STOP on WhatsApp or emailing sumitsonkawade@sonkawadelabs.in. After withdrawal we stop processing your data for future requests; processing already completed remains lawful.
• You may nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity, as provided under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• This notice is published in English. A copy in Marathi, Hindi, or another language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India may be requested by email.

Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request:

• Access to a summary of the personal data we process about you.
• Correction or updating of inaccurate personal data.
• Deletion or erasure of your data, subject to lawful retention exceptions — see the Data Deletion Instructions.
• Withdrawal of consent for future processing where consent is the basis.
• Information about the categories of third parties with whom data is shared.
• Grievance redressal and, if unsatisfied after our response, a complaint to the Data Protection Board of India as provided under the DPDP Act, 2023.

Children

StockSaathi is intended for users aged 18 and above. If you are a minor, use StockSaathi only with the consent and supervision of a parent or lawful guardian.

Data deletion requests

You may request deletion of data related to StockSaathi by emailing sumitsonkawade@sonkawadelabs.in with the subject StockSaathi Data Deletion Request. Full instructions, including what can be deleted and what we may have to keep, are on the StockSaathi Data Deletion Instructions page. We respond to deletion requests within 30 days.

Grievance redressal and the Data Protection Board of India

• Grievances are acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within 30 days of receipt, or within any shorter period prescribed under applicable law.
• If you are not satisfied with the response of the Grievance Officer after exhausting this process, you may file a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India in the manner prescribed under the DPDP Act, 2023 and its rules.

Personal data breach

In the event of a personal data breach affecting data under our control, Sonkawade Labs will notify the Data Protection Board of India and the affected data principals in the form and manner, and within the timelines, required under the DPDP Act, 2023 and the rules made under it, and will take reasonable steps to mitigate harm.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updated versions are posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Continued use of StockSaathi after an update means the revised Policy applies to the extent permitted by law.