Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

VaahanHQ (“we”, “us”, or “our”) operates the website vaahanhq.com and related services. We are an ad-free car research platform based in India. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”).

2. Data we collect

Account data: When you create an account we collect your name, email address, and an encrypted password. For dealer accounts we additionally collect dealership name, city, brand focus, GSTIN, and phone number.

Usage data: We automatically collect information about how you use the platform including pages visited, cars viewed, comparisons made, search queries, and shortlisted vehicles.

Device data: We collect basic device information such as browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and IP address for analytics and security purposes.

Cookies: We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. See Section 7 for details.

3. How we use your data

We use your personal data to provide account functionality (sign in, shortlists, reviews), power personalised features like price alerts and recently viewed cars, enable the Deal Desk marketplace connecting buyers with dealers, send transactional emails such as account verification and password resets, improve platform performance and fix bugs, and comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your data to third parties. We do not serve advertisements. We do not share your data with advertisers or data brokers.

4. Legal basis for processing

Under the DPDP Act 2023 we process your personal data based on your consent (provided when you create an account or use our services) and for legitimate purposes necessary to provide the services you have requested.

5. Data storage and security

Your data is stored on secure servers provided by Neon (PostgreSQL database hosting) and Vercel (application hosting). Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a cost factor of 12 and are never stored in plain text. All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS encryption.

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account we will erase your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

6. Your rights under the DPDP Act

As a Data Principal you have the right to access a summary of your personal data and how it is being processed, request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data, request erasure of your personal data subject to legal obligations, raise grievances about how your data is handled, and withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account or contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights email us at privacy@vaahanhq.com.

7. Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for the platform to function. These include session tokens for authentication and preference storage. We do not use third-party advertising cookies, social media trackers, or analytics cookies that identify individual users. You can manage cookie preferences via the cookie banner or your browser settings.

8. Dealer data

If you register as a dealer your dealership name and city may be displayed to users in the Deal Desk marketplace. Your GSTIN and contact details are used for verification and are not publicly visible. Dealer accounts are subject to the same data protection standards as user accounts.

9. Third-party services

We use the following third-party service providers who may process data on our behalf: Vercel (hosting), Neon (database), and your email provider for transactional emails. Each provider is bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.

10. Children's privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a minor we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or an in-app notice. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when this policy was last revised.

12. Contact us

For privacy-related enquiries or to exercise your data rights contact us at privacy@vaahanhq.com.