Establishes key definitions – Personal Data refers to any information about an identifiable individual, and only digital personal data is covered (i.e., data collected or digitized electronically). Individuals are “Data Principals” and organizations that determine data processing are “Data Fiduciaries”, akin to data controllers. The Act applies to processing within India and has extraterritorial reach for entities outside India that offer goods/services to people in India. It explicitly does not categorize data into sensitive or critical classes – all personal data is generally treated equally, with certain topics (such as children’s data) receiving special mention. Standard exclusions include personal data processed for purely personal or domestic purposes, as well as data that is non-digital (unless it is later digitized).