By accessing or using the Bharat Steel Portal, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms herein, please do not use the Portal.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services to you. The data we collect may include:

• Personal Data: Information that can be used to identify you directly or indirectly. This may include:
• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, company name, designation, postal address.
• Account Information: Username, password, and other registration details.
• Professional Information: Industry, business type, areas of interest in steel products or services.
• Communication Data: Information you provide when you contact us with inquiries, feedback, or support requests.
• Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI): As defined under Indian law, we generally do not collect SPDI on this Portal unless it is explicitly required for a specific, lawful purpose and with your explicit consent. If collected, such data will be handled with heightened security measures.
• Transactional Data: Details related to your interactions on the Portal, such as inquiries made, products or services viewed, and any transactions processed through the Portal.
• Technical and Usage Data: Information about your device and how you access and use the Portal, such as IP address, Browser type and version, Operating system, Referral sources, Pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation paths, Device identifiers, Location data (if you enable location services on your device) etc.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We may use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixels) to collect information about your Browse activities to enhance your user experience, analyze Portal usage, and for marketing purposes. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

2. How We Collect Information

We collect information through various methods:

• Directly from You: When you register for an account, fill out forms, subscribe to newsletters, participate in surveys, contact our support, or engage in other interactive features on the Portal.
• Automatically: As you navigate and interact with our Portal, we may automatically collect technical and usage data through cookies and other tracking technologies.
• From Third Parties: We may receive information about you from third-party service providers (e.g., analytics providers) consistent with their privacy policies.

3. Purpose of Data Collection and Use

We use the collected information for the following lawful purposes:

• To Provide and Maintain the Portal: To register your account, provide access to features, and ensure the Portal functions correctly.
• To Improve Our Services: To understand user behavior, analyze trends, and enhance the content, features, and functionality of the Portal.
• To Communicate with You: To respond to your inquiries, provide customer support, send important notices, updates, and promotional materials (where you have consented).
• To Personalize Your Experience: To tailor content, recommendations, and services based on your interests and past interactions.
• For Business Operations: For internal record-keeping, data analysis, auditing, and to manage our business effectively.
• For Security and Fraud Prevention: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, security incidents, and fraudulent activities.
• To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet our legal and regulatory requirements, respond to legal processes, and enforce our terms and conditions.

4. Consent

By providing your personal data, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as described in this Privacy Policy. Your consent will be free, specific, informed, unconditional, and unambiguous, provided through a clear affirmative action. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions, by contacting us using the details provided below. Please note that withdrawing consent may affect your ability to access certain features or services on the Portal.

5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• With Service Providers: We may engage trusted third-party companies and individuals to perform services on our behalf (e.g., hosting, data analysis, IT support, payment processing, marketing assistance). These service providers will only have access to your personal data as necessary to perform their functions and are obligated to maintain its confidentiality and security.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe such action is necessary to (a) comply with a legal obligation; (b) protect and defend our rights or property; (c) prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Portal; or (d) protect the personal safety of users of the Portal or the public.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or other corporate restructuring, your personal data may be transferred to the new entity. We will notify you of any such transfer and any changes to this Privacy Policy.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when we have your explicit consent to do so.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security practices and procedures, including technical and organizational measures, to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest where appropriate.
• Access controls to limit access to personal data to authorized personnel only.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Secure storage of data on protected servers.

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When we no longer require your personal data, we will securely dispose of it in accordance with our data retention policies and applicable laws.

8. Your Rights

As a data principal, you have certain rights regarding your personal data, subject to applicable laws:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request corrections or updates to inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You may request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Grievance Redressal: You have the right to register a grievance with us regarding your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Grievance Officer using the contact details provided below. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws.

9. Links to Other Websites

Our Portal may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

10. Children's Privacy

The Bharat Steel Portal is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers promptly.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or new technologies. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Portal after any changes signifies your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

12. Grievance Officer and Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact our appointed Grievance Officer bharat-steel@gov.in 

We are committed to addressing your concerns and resolving any issues related to your privacy in a timely and effective manner.