Last updated: 29 September 2026
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Way2news Pvt Ltd, a Private Limited Company having its registered office at 1st Floor, H.No. 8-2-293, Plot No. 499, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500033, India (“Maharshi Astro”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, shares and protects your personal data when you use the Maharshi Astro mobile App, this website and our consultation services.
We process personal data in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”) and the rules made under it, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011. For the purposes of the DPDP Act, Way2news Pvt Ltd is the Data Fiduciary.
2. Personal data we collect
| Category | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Account details | Name, mobile number, and optionally email address, gender and profile photo. |
| Birth details | Date, time and place of birth that you enter for yourself or for family members you consult about. |
| Chat content | Messages exchanged with Astrologers, and consultation records (astrologer, date, time, duration). |
| Payment data | Payment transaction IDs, amount, date, status and the payment method type (e.g. UPI or card). Card numbers, CVV, UPI PIN and banking credentials are handled only by the payment gateway and are never received or stored by us. |
| Device and usage data | Device model, operating system, app version, device identifiers, IP address, notification token, crash logs and in-app activity. |
| Support communications | Messages you send us by email, phone, in-app support or website forms. |
We do not knowingly collect personal data of children for creating accounts. Our Services are meant only for users aged 18 and above.
3. Why we use your data
- To create and secure your account — verifying your mobile number by OTP and preventing unauthorised access.
- To provide consultations — sharing your name and birth details with the Astrologer you choose so they can prepare your chart and answer your questions.
- To process payments — crediting your Wallet, billing per minute, issuing invoices and handling refunds.
- To prevent fraud and misuse — including enforcing the one-time free-minutes offer.
- To support you — responding to queries, complaints and grievances.
- To improve safety and quality — reviewing reported chats, monitoring Astrologer conduct and fixing bugs.
- To send communications — service messages, and promotional messages only where you have consented (you can opt out anytime).
- To comply with law — tax, accounting and lawful requests from authorities.
We process your data on the basis of your consent, which you give when you sign up and use the App, and for legitimate uses permitted under the DPDP Act, such as complying with law.
4. SMS and notifications
We send transactional SMS from our registered sender ID for OTP verification during sign-up and login, and for payment and Wallet confirmations. These messages are sent through a licensed SMS service provider in compliance with TRAI’s Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (DLT). We send promotional SMS or notifications only if you have opted in, and you can opt out at any time from the App settings or by replying as instructed in the message.
6. Storage and security
Your data is stored on secure cloud servers. We use reasonable security practices, including encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS), access controls limited to authorised staff, OTP-based login, activity logging and regular security reviews. While no system is completely secure, we take prompt steps to contain any breach and will notify affected users and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.
7. How long we keep data
- Account, birth details and chat content — for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account they are removed from the App immediately; a restricted copy is kept for up to 90 days to answer lawful requests from statutory, regulatory or judicial authorities and to investigate fraud or abuse, and is then permanently deleted.
- Payment and invoice records — up to 8 years, as required under Indian tax and accounting laws.
- Support and grievance records — up to 3 years after closure, to handle disputes.
- A hashed record of your mobile number — retained to prevent repeat use of the new-user free minutes.
8. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act, you have the right to:
- Access a summary of the personal data we process about you and the processing activities;
- Correct, complete or update inaccurate or incomplete data — most details can be edited directly in the App;
- Erase your data by deleting your account (see Account & Data Deletion);
- Withdraw consent at any time — this will not affect processing already done, but we may be unable to continue providing the Services;
- Grievance redressal through our Grievance Officer, and to escalate to the Data Protection Board of India if unresolved;
- Nominate another person to exercise these rights in the event of your death or incapacity.
To exercise any right, email support@maharshiastro.in from your registered email or include your registered mobile number. We may verify your identity before acting on the request.
10. Grievance Officer
If you have any question or complaint about how we handle your personal data, please contact our Grievance Officer:
Vijay Kumar, Grievance Officer
Way2news Pvt Ltd
1st Floor, H.No. 8-2-293, Plot No. 499, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500033, India
Email: support@maharshiastro.in
Phone: +91 63001 20387 (9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST, Monday to Sunday)
We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days of receipt.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a new “Last updated” date and notify you in the App of any material change.