1. Who we are and how to contact us
Career Forgers is an EdTech career development platform founded and operated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. We provide mentorship programmes, skill development tools, portfolio-building services, and certifications to college students and fresh graduates.
- Platform name: Career Forgers
- Operating address: B4, A&G Colony Phase 2, Mugalivakkam, Porur, Chennai - 600125, Tamil Nadu, India
- Email: contact@careerforgers.in
- Privacy queries: legal@careerforgers.in
- Grievance Officer: Abhinav - grievance@careerforgers.in - responds within 30 days
- Phone: As listed on careerforgers.in/contact
2. What personal data we collect
We collect personal data through three means: information you provide directly when registering or using the platform, data generated automatically by your use of the platform, and information received from third-party services you connect.
2.1 Data you provide directly
- Registration data: full name, email address, phone number, password (hashed and never stored in plain text)
- Profile data: date of birth, gender, college name, degree, graduation year, domain interest, CGPA (optional), LinkedIn URL, GitHub URL
- Assessment data: responses to skill assessment questions, self-rating scores, career goals statement
- Programme data: milestone submissions, project files, assignment responses, portfolio content, case study text
- Payment data: payment method information processed exclusively by Razorpay; Career Forgers does not store card numbers, CVV, or banking credentials
- Communication data: messages sent via platform chat, support tickets, community posts, session feedback forms
- Mentor-specific data: professional designation, company, years of experience, introduction video, mentor feedback submissions
2.2 Data collected automatically
- Usage data: pages visited, time spent, session duration, features used, roadmap progress, login timestamps
- Device data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution
- Cookies and similar technologies: session cookies for authentication and analytics cookies as described in Section 8
- Streak and engagement data: daily login records, event attendance, session attendance, community interactions
2.3 Sensitive personal data
Under Indian law, certain categories are classified as Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI). We may collect these only with your explicit consent.
- Psychological assessment responses used for learning path assignment and stored securely without third-party sharing
- Financial information processed through Razorpay as described in the payment section
3. Why we collect your data - lawful bases
We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis for doing so under the DPDP Act 2023 and IT Act 2000.
| Purpose | Data used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Creating and managing your account | Name, email, phone, password hash | Contract performance |
| Administering your programme and roadmap | Profile data, assessment scores, milestone submissions | Contract performance |
| Processing payments | Transaction ID and selected plan; payment is passed to Razorpay | Contract performance |
| Matching you with a mentor | Domain, skill level, career goals, assessment score | Contract performance |
| Calculating rank score and issuing badges | All 5-pillar data points such as logins, submissions, attendance, and mentor rating | Contract performance |
| Sending service notifications | Email and phone | Contract performance / legitimate interest |
| Generating and verifying your CF Certification | Name, programme data, mentor validation | Contract performance |
| Improving the platform and curriculum | Anonymised usage data and feedback | Legitimate interest |
| Marketing communications | Consent, which can be withdrawn at any time | |
| Legal compliance | Transaction records and communication logs | Legal obligation |
| Fraud prevention and platform security | IP address, login history, payment anomalies | Legitimate interest |
5. Data retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
| Data category | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Account and profile data | While the account is active plus 3 years after deletion | Legal obligation / dispute resolution |
| Assessment and programme data | Duration of the programme plus 5 years | Portfolio integrity / certification verification |
| Portfolio content | While the portfolio is active and deleted on written request | User choice |
| CF Certification records | Indefinite | Certificate authenticity and verification |
| Payment transaction records | 7 years from the transaction date | Indian tax and accounting law |
| Communication logs | 3 years from last interaction | Legal protection / dispute resolution |
| Usage and analytics data | Anonymised after 12 months and retained in aggregate | Platform improvement |
| Marketing consent records | Until consent is withdrawn plus 2 years | Legal obligation under the DPDP Act |
6. Your rights under the DPDP Act 2023
As a data principal under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, you have the following rights.
Right to access
You may request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. We will respond within 30 days.
Right to correction
You may request correction of inaccurate or outdated personal data. We will update it within 15 days of verification.
Right to erasure
You may request deletion of your personal data. We will delete all data except what is legally required to be retained, such as payment records for 7 years and certification records kept for verification. We will confirm deletion within 30 days.
Right to withdraw consent
You may withdraw consent for marketing communications or non-essential data processing at any time. Withdrawal does not affect lawful processing based on consent given before withdrawal.
Right to grievance redressal
You may lodge a complaint with our Grievance Officer at grievance@careerforgers.in. We will respond within 30 days. If unresolved, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India once established under the DPDP Act 2023.
Right to nominate
You may nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of your death or incapacity.
7. Data security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, in compliance with the IT (SPDI) Rules 2011.
Technical safeguards
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
- Passwords hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text
- Payment data handled exclusively by Razorpay (PCI-DSS Level 1)
- Role-based access controls so only authorised team members access your data
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Session tokens with expiry and revocation
Organisational safeguards
- Confidentiality agreements for team members and mentors
- Data minimisation so we collect only what we need
- Privacy by design in all new feature development
- Incident response planning for data breaches
- Staff training on data protection obligations
9. Children's privacy
Career Forgers is intended for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 18 without verifiable parental or guardian consent. If you believe a person under 18 has provided us personal data without consent, contact legal@careerforgers.in and we will delete the data promptly.
Students aged 16 to 17 may use the platform with explicit parental or guardian consent. The parent or guardian must complete the consent form available on request from contact@careerforgers.in.
10. International data transfers
Career Forgers is based in India and primarily processes data in India. Some service providers such as Zoom, Google, and WhatsApp / Meta may process data outside India. We ensure adequate protections are in place through standard contractual clauses or the service provider's applicable compliance framework. By using the platform, you consent to such transfers where necessary for service delivery.
11. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email to your registered address and by posting a notice on the platform at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
The most recent version of this policy is always available at careerforgers.in/privacy-policy with the effective date clearly displayed.
12. Grievance redressal
If you have any complaints or concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact our Grievance Officer.
- Grievance Officer: Abhinav KM, Founder, Career Forgers
- Email: grievance@careerforgers.in
- Address: B4, A&G Colony Phase 2, Mugalivakkam, Porur, Chennai - 600125, Tamil Nadu, India
- Response time: complaint acknowledgement within 5 business days and resolution within 30 days
- Escalation: If unresolved, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India when constituted under the DPDP Act 2023