Privacy notice
This notice explains what personal data the Bhagavatam app and this website collect, why, how long we keep it, who we share it with, and the rights you have. It is written under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).
- Who we are
- What we collect
- Why we use it
- Your consent choices
- Ask (AI answers)
- Who we share it with
- How long we keep it
- Your rights
- Children
- Security
- Changes and contact
1. Who we are
The Bhagavatam app and bhagavatam.app are run by MindCraft Solutions Pvt. Ltd. ("we", "us"). We decide why and how your personal data is processed, so under the DPDP Act we are the data fiduciary. You can reach us at support@bhagavatam.app. Complaints are handled as described on the grievances page.
2. What we collect
| Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Account | Your name, and the email address or mobile number from the sign-in method you choose (Google, Apple or phone number). An optional profile photo. |
| Profile and preferences | App language, state, knowledge level, what brings you to the app, your age group (18 or older / under 18), reminder time and display settings. |
| Consents | Which of the optional uses below you allowed, and when. |
| Reading and practice | Verses read or listened to, streaks, XP, reading journeys, challenge days and certificates (including the name printed on each certificate). |
| Mood check-ins | The mood you choose (calm, anxious, angry, sad or grateful) and the day. Only if you use this feature. |
| Ask conversations | Questions you ask, the answers, the verses cited, any rating or report you give, and technical details of the answer (such as the model used). |
| Chanting coach | Short voice recordings of you chanting, used only to check pronunciation. |
| Community | Challenges you create or join, cheers, study-group messages, people you block or mute, and reports you send. If you join the leaderboard: your display name, state and number of verses completed. |
| Live Darshan | The temple channels you follow, so we can tell you when one goes live. Only if you follow a channel. |
| Guardian request | For users under 18: the parent's or guardian's mobile number or email address you enter, and their decision. |
| Feedback and support | Messages, error reports about verses, and contact details you choose to give. |
| Device | An app installation ID, platform, app version, language, time zone and a notification token (if you allow reminders). |
| Usage events | Which screens and features you use. Collected only if you turn on product analytics, except a record that a reminder you asked for was opened. |
| Error reports | Technical details when the app hits an error (screen, app version, error message), used to fix bugs. |
Kept on your device only: the city and panjika you choose for the Panchang, your festival reminder choices, and the name you put on a share card. The Panchang is worked out on your phone for the city you pick; the app never asks for GPS.
We do not collect your contacts, precise location, payment details or government ID numbers. If you type a phone number, email address or Aadhaar-style number into Ask, it is masked before the question is sent for an answer.
3. Why we use it
- To run the app you signed up for: sign-in, keeping your progress and streaks across devices, certificates, reminders, Live Darshan alerts, challenges and study groups.
- To answer your questions in Ask, with verses from the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Mahabharata.
- To keep people safe: showing helpline numbers when a message suggests someone may be at risk, moderating community content, and acting on reports.
- To personalise suggestions of verses and videos, if you allow it.
- To improve the app with usage analytics, if you allow it, and error reports.
- To meet legal duties, such as answering lawful requests and keeping records of consent.
We process your data on the basis of your consent, or for the legitimate uses the DPDP Act allows (for example, a service you asked for, or a legal obligation). We do not sell your personal data and we do not show advertising.
4. Your consent choices
When you start, the app asks for consent to the account and core service, and separately lets you choose:
- Personalised suggestions based on what you read and ask;
- Product analytics (anonymous usage data);
- Reminders and festival messages.
You can change any of these at any time in You › Privacy centre. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it, and it does not affect processing done before you withdrew it.
5. Ask (AI answers)
Ask answers are written by an AI model using passages from the scriptures. Your question (with personal details masked) and the matching passages are sent to our AI provider to produce the answer and, if needed, a translation. Answers can contain mistakes; always check the cited verse. Ask is not medical, legal or financial advice, and it is not a crisis service. Ask conversations are kept for 90 days and then deleted. Answers you rate or report, and answers our safety checks flag, may be read by our review team to improve quality and safety.
6. Who we share it with
We share personal data only with service providers that process it for us under contract, only as much as each one needs:
- Sign-in: our sign-in and SMS verification provider, and Apple or Google when you sign in with them.
- AI answers, translation and voice: Sarvam AI (India). The audio Gita is prepared in advance, so listening to it sends nothing about you to the AI provider.
- Hosting, database, file storage and backups: our cloud hosting and storage providers.
- Notifications: Apple, Google, Expo and your browser's push service deliver reminders you asked for.
- Error monitoring: a monitoring service receives technical error details.
- Sharing: when you share a verse card, your phone hands the image to the app you choose (for example WhatsApp). That app's own privacy policy applies. The link on a card says only that it came from a share card; it does not identify you.
- Videos: Live Darshan streams are played from YouTube; YouTube may collect data under Google's own privacy policy when you play them.
Other members see only what the community features show them: your display name, streak and cheers in a challenge you share, your study-group messages, and your leaderboard entry if you join it. They never see your answers, moods or Ask conversations.
We may disclose data if the law requires it, or to protect someone's safety. Some providers may process data outside India; when they do, we rely on safeguards permitted under the DPDP Act.
7. How long we keep it
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Ask conversations | 90 days |
| Chanting recordings | Deleted within 24 hours |
| Error reports | 30 days |
| Account, progress, moods, community and device data | While your account is open |
| After you delete your account | Your account closes straight away; personal data is erased within 30 days and backup copies expire within 35 days |
| Records we must keep by law (for example, consent records and grievance records) | Only as long as the law requires |
8. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act you can:
- Get a copy of your data: You › Privacy centre › Download my data (ready within 7 days);
- Correct or update your profile in the app, or ask us to correct other data;
- Erase your data: You › Privacy centre › Delete account, or see how to delete your account;
- Withdraw consent for any optional use in the Privacy centre;
- Nominate a person to exercise your rights if you die or become unable to do so, by writing to us;
- Raise a grievance with us (see the grievances page), and, if you are not satisfied with our reply, complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
To use any right by email, write to support@bhagavatam.app from the email address or mobile number linked to your account, so we can confirm it is you.
9. Children
People under 18 can use the app only after a parent or guardian gives verifiable consent through the guardian request in the app. We do not track children's behaviour for advertising or send them targeted content, and study groups are open only to people aged 18 or older. If you believe a child is using the app without a guardian's consent, write to us and we will act on it.
10. Security
Data is encrypted in transit. Secrets such as provider keys are stored encrypted. Our administration tools are limited to authorised staff and record who did what. We take regular backups. If a personal data breach happens, we will inform the Data Protection Board of India and the people affected as the law requires.
11. Changes and contact
If we change this notice in a way that matters, we will tell you in the app before the change takes effect. The date at the top shows the latest version.
Questions: support@bhagavatam.app · MindCraft Solutions Pvt. Ltd.