Yes, you can do this for free. The DPDP Act 2023 gives you the right to have your personal data erased — no lawyer, no subscription required. The free route: find your exposure → use each site's own opt-out → send DPDP erasure emails (free generator below) → escalate if ignored. What paid services sell is not the right — it's the labour: sending, tracking deadlines and following up across dozens of companies.
Plenty of sites will happily charge you for "data removal". Here's the honest version: everything in this guide is free, works because of Indian law, and is exactly what we automate. If you have more patience than money, this page is all you need.
Step 1 — Find where you're exposed (free)
You can't delete what you haven't found. Two free ways:
- Manual: search Google for your name + city, your phone number (with and without +91), and your email in quotes. Check TrueCaller, JustDial, Zaubacorp (if you've been a company director), IndiaMART and job portals. Where Indian data gets sold →
- Automatic: Saaph's free scan checks 50+ Indian platforms and known breach data for your details in about a minute — free, no card.
Step 2 — Use the platform's own opt-out first (free)
The biggest Indian exposure sources have self-serve removal paths, and they're usually faster than a legal request:
- TrueCaller — deactivate + unlist. Full walkthrough →
- JustDial — listing removal. Full walkthrough →
- Naukri — resume visibility & deletion. Full walkthrough →
- 99acres / MagicBricks — stop property-site spam →
- Google results — remove your name from search →
Step 3 — Send a DPDP erasure request (free)
For companies without a self-serve path — data brokers, old accounts, sites that scraped you — send a formal erasure request citing the DPDP Act 2023. It has to say who you are, what data to delete, and cite your right to erasure. Two free ways to generate one:
- The free DPDP notice generator — fill your details, copy the email, send it from your own inbox to the company's grievance/privacy contact.
- A free Saaph account generates pre-filled requests for each platform your scan finds.
Send it to the company's grievance officer (the DPDP Act requires them to publish one — check the privacy policy). Keep the email: it's your evidence, and the statutory clock starts when you send it.
Step 4 — Track deadlines and follow up (free)
Companies must respond within the statutory window. Most silence isn't malice — it's a request that fell into an unmonitored inbox. A firm follow-up after ~10 days referencing your original request date resolves a surprising number of cases.
Step 5 — Escalate if they ignore you (free)
Still nothing? Two free escalation steps with real teeth: a final legal notice, then a complaint to the Data Protection Board — which can fine companies up to ₹250 crore. Free generators for both, plus the exact process: what to do when a company ignores your deletion request →
So what do paid services actually add?
Honesty time: the paid tier of any legitimate Indian data-removal service (ours included) is buying time and persistence, not access to the law:
| DIY (free) | Saaph Pro (₹99 / 3 months) | |
|---|---|---|
| Right to erasure (DPDP Act) | ✅ Yours already | ✅ Same right |
| Finding your exposure | Manual searching (or free scan) | ✅ Automated scan + re-scans |
| Writing requests | ✅ Free generator | ✅ Pre-filled |
| Sending to the right grievance contact | You research each company | ✅ Sent for you, CC'd to you |
| Deadline tracking + follow-ups | Your calendar | ✅ Tracked automatically |
| Cost | ₹0 + your evenings | ₹99 for 3 months |
Ten platforms × research + emails + follow-ups is a weekend of work; that's the trade. Comparing paid options? The best data-removal services for India →
Start with the free scan
See exactly which Indian platforms and breaches hold your data — then remove it yourself with our free generators, or let Saaph send and track everything for ₹99.
Run a free scan →FAQ
Is there a free data deletion service in India?
The right itself is free — the DPDP Act 2023 gives it to you directly. Saaph's free tier adds a 50+ platform scan and a free erasure-request generator; you only pay if you want the sending and tracking done for you.
How long do companies have to respond?
The Act and Rules set statutory timelines. If a company blows through them, escalate — final notice, then a Data Protection Board complaint.
Will this stop spam calls?
It cuts them at the source — brokers reselling your number. Pair it with DND and the spam-call guide →
Does data come back after removal?
It can — brokers re-scrape and re-buy lists. That's why re-scanning every few weeks matters, whichever route you choose.
General information as of July 2026. Platform opt-out flows change; statutory timelines depend on the DPDP Rules as notified. Not legal advice.