Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Corporate Scope

GWU Technologies ("GWU Technologies", "we", "us", or "our") is an innovative technology enterprise operating from 1/151A, Veerapandi Road, Chinnathadagam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu - 641108, officially registered as a Micro Enterprise under India's Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME Registration No: UDYAM-TN-03-0309835; GSTIN: 33AEIPI4136F1ZV).

Guided by our foundational philosophy — Love, Wisdom, Service — we are committed to safeguarding the privacy, confidentiality, and integrity of the personal information and industrial data entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we collect, the rationale and mechanisms of processing, our data retention and security measures, and your rights under applicable privacy legislation, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 (SPDI Rules).

This policy applies to information collected through our official website (www.gwutechnologies.com), our AI Inspector platform, our software development and consulting services, our virtual education offerings, our email communications, and our automated WhatsApp communication and query channels.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal and technical information only to the extent necessary to provide our industrial AI solutions, answer inquiries, fulfill service agreements, and enhance your digital experience.

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily

• Identity and Contact Data: Full name, professional designation, organization or company name, business email address, telephone/mobile number, and mailing address provided via our contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, or demo requests.
• Inquiry and Project Details: Information describing your industrial inspection requirements, production line setup, machine vision accessories of interest, R&D consulting specifications, or virtual education enrollment requests.
• Correspondence Data: Records of communications transmitted via our website contact form, direct emails, phone calls, or official WhatsApp messaging channels.

B. Industrial & Technical Project Data

When prospective or contracted clients engage GWU Technologies for feasibility analysis or model training on our AI Inspector platform, we may receive:

• Sample inspection imagery, defect classification parameters, optical setup specifications, and production line tolerances.
• Such industrial datasets are processed strictly in accordance with client Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).

C. Information Collected Automatically

• Technical and Device Telemetry: Internet Protocol (IP) address, operating system, browser type and version, language preferences, device identifiers, and network information.
• Usage and Interaction Data: Pages viewed, referring URLs, timestamps of visits, dwell time, and interaction with interactive elements (such as simulation widgets and animations).

3. WhatsApp Automation & Query Processing Policy

To provide prompt, round-the-clock service to industrial clients, partners, and visitors, GWU Technologies utilizes automated messaging and artificial intelligence triage workflows via the official WhatsApp Business Platform.

A. Scope of WhatsApp Data Processing

When you communicate with us via WhatsApp, we process:

• Your telephone number, country code, and WhatsApp public profile name.
• Message content, including textual inquiries, queries regarding AI Inspector or machine vision accessories, and any documents, specifications, or images you voluntarily attach.
• Metadata including message delivery status, read timestamps, and conversational state in our triage queue.

B. Purpose of WhatsApp Processing

Information processed via WhatsApp is used solely for:

• Providing instant automated responses to commercial and technical questions.
• Scheduling product demonstrations and consultation calls.
• Providing transactional updates regarding active projects, service tickets, or virtual education courses.
• Routing urgent inquiries to the appropriate technical specialist or executive team member in Coimbatore.

C. Third-Party Infrastructure (Meta Platforms)

WhatsApp Business is provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. Messages transmitted over the WhatsApp network are protected by transport layer encryption and governed by WhatsApp's Business Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. GWU Technologies enforces strict access control credentials to ensure that only authorized technical and support personnel have access to our business messaging dashboard.

4. How We Use Your Information

GWU Technologies uses collected personal and organizational information for the following legitimate business purposes:

• Delivering Solutions & Core Services: Operating the AI Inspector platform, designing custom machine vision setups, providing bespoke software engineering, and executing virtual education courses.
• Customer Support & Query Resolution: Addressing technical requests, drafting proposals, issuing service quotes, and maintaining clear communication channels.
• System Enhancement & Research: Conducting internal research, debugging application performance, optimizing website load times, and enhancing AI algorithms (using strictly anonymized and aggregated datasets).
• Commercial Transactions & Billing: Invoicing, financial record-keeping, and complying with Goods and Services Tax (GST) and MSME statutory requirements in India.
• Security & Fraud Prevention: Safeguarding our digital infrastructure against unauthorized intrusions, bot floods, malware, or malicious attacks.
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Fulfilling obligations mandated by Indian regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, or court orders.

5. Legal Bases for Processing (DPDPA & Global Frameworks)

We process personal data only when substantiated by recognized legal grounds under applicable law:

• Explicit Consent: Where you have affirmatively given clear consent for a specific purpose (such as submitting an inquiry, consenting to automated WhatsApp messages, or subscribing to company updates). Consent may be withdrawn at any time.
• Performance of a Contract: Where processing is necessary to execute an agreement, proposal, non-disclosure agreement, or service contract between your organization and GWU Technologies.
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate commercial operations (e.g., maintaining platform security, answering technical queries, improving product performance), provided such interests do not override your fundamental rights.
• Compliance with Legal Obligations: Where processing is mandated by statutory provisions under the laws of the Republic of India.

6. Cookies & Telemetry Technologies

Our website utilizes standard cookies and local storage tokens to ensure secure, rapid, and dependable website functionality.

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for navigational routing, form submission validation, session security, and cross-site request forgery (CSRF) defense. These cookies cannot be disabled without impairing core site operations.
• Functional & Preference Cookies: Retain user preferences such as navigation states or visual preferences.
• Performance & Diagnostic Logs: Capture aggregated, non-personally identifiable diagnostic metrics to evaluate page render speeds, asset caching, and error rates.

You may modify your browser settings to decline or delete cookies at any time. However, disabling essential session cookies may cause certain interactive features of our website to function suboptimally.

7. Data Sharing & Third-Party Disclosures

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third-party data brokers, marketers, or advertisers.

We only share information with trusted third parties under strictly controlled circumstances:

• Authorized Service Providers: Vetted cloud hosting providers, transactional email servers (SMTP), database hosts, and telecommunication infrastructure partners (such as the Meta WhatsApp Business API) who process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
• Academic & Incubation Affiliates: Collaborative administrative reporting with our host incubation institution — SISH Incubation Centre, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology (SRIT) — strictly limited to aggregated and non-identifiable startup metrics.
• Legal & Statutory Demands: We may disclose information if required to do so by applicable law, search warrant, subpoena, or valid order issued by a competent court or governmental agency in India.
• Business Continuity: In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or asset transfer, information may be transferred as an essential business asset, subject to the recipient adhering to equivalent privacy safeguards.

8. Data Security & Storage Architecture

GWU Technologies implements administrative, technical, and physical security safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your information.

• Encryption Standards: Data in transit across our website and APIs is protected via Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2 / TLS 1.3) with modern cryptographic cipher suites.
• Access Governance: Internal access to contact records and technical datasets is restricted strictly on a need-to-know basis, protected by hashed credential storage and multi-factor authentication.
• Database Integrity: Production databases are secured within isolated virtual environments with scheduled automated backups and parameter sanitization to protect against SQL injection and data tampering.
• Vulnerability Management: Periodic source code audits, dependency tracking, and adherence to OWASP Top 10 web security best practices.

While we maintain stringent security protocols, no method of electronic transmission over the internet or method of digital storage is 100% impervious. In the unlikely event of a security breach affecting personal data, we will notify affected individuals and statutory authorities in accordance with applicable laws.

9. Data Retention & Disposal Periods

We retain personal data only for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was gathered, comply with legal, tax, or accounting mandates, or defend against legal claims.

• Website Inquiries: Contact form submissions and general commercial inquiries are retained for up to 24 months from the date of last contact, after which they are securely expunged or anonymized.
• WhatsApp Conversation Logs: Chat history generated through automated triage is retained for up to 24 months for customer service continuity, or deleted earlier upon verified user request.
• Contractual Client Records: Invoices, signed agreements, and service fulfillment records are retained for a minimum of 7 years in compliance with Indian corporate and taxation statutes.
• Server Access Logs: Web server diagnostic telemetry is rotated and cleared automatically within 90 days.

10. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA) and international data privacy benchmarks, you are entitled to exercise the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access & Summary: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a summary of the data held.
• Right to Correction & Completion: You may request rectification of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal information.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request the deletion of your personal data where it is no longer required for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to statutory retention obligations.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is predicated on consent (including marketing and automated WhatsApp updates), you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting past lawful processing.
• Right of Grievance Redressal: You have the right to readily available means of grievance redressal regarding our data processing practices.
• Right to Nominate: Under DPDPA 2023, you have the right to designate an individual who may exercise your data protection rights in the event of incapacity.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Grievance Officer using the details provided below. We will review and respond to all verified requests within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website, industrial machine vision products, and software services are intended exclusively for commercial enterprises, academic researchers, and individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to our systems without appropriate parental consent, please contact us immediately, and we will delete the data without delay.

12. Grievance Redressal & Contact Desk

Pursuant to the Information Technology Act, 2000, the SPDI Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, GWU Technologies has appointed a designated Grievance Officer to oversee data protection inquiries and resolve user concerns expeditiously.

13. Updates to this Privacy Policy

GWU Technologies reserves the right to amend, update, or revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological enhancements, operational changes, evolving features in our AI Inspector and WhatsApp automation systems, or updates in statutory jurisprudence.

Whenever amendments are published, the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document will be revised accordingly. Material revisions will be prominently highlighted on our website or communicated directly to registered clients prior to the changes taking effect. We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically to stay informed about our data protection commitments.