How long can a business keep call recordings in India?
Only as long as the purpose needs, unless another law requires longer. The DPDP Act 2023 requires personal data, including recordings and transcripts, to be erased once consent is withdrawn or the purpose is no longer served, whichever is earlier, unless retention is required by law. Sector rules from RBI, SEBI and IRDAI can require longer retention for some calls. Set a written retention period per call type.
The default under the DPDP Act
Section 8(7) of the DPDP Act 2023 requires a data fiduciary to erase personal data when the person withdraws consent or when it is reasonable to assume the purpose is no longer being served, whichever comes first, unless keeping it is necessary to comply with law. The DPDP Rules 2025 add more detail, including time-based erasure for some classes of large platforms and minimum retention of certain logs. Check which provisions apply to you and when they commence.
When other rules require longer
- —Financial services: RBI, SEBI and anti-money-laundering record-keeping can require customer records to be kept for years; your compliance team will know the exact period for each record.
- —Insurance: tele-sales recordings are kept as evidence for mis-selling complaints and disputes.
- —Live disputes: once a complaint or legal claim is raised, keep the related recordings until it is resolved.
A sensible retention policy
| Call type | Suggested approach |
|---|---|
| Lead callback that did not convert | Months, not years; delete when the lead is closed |
| Sales call that led to a purchase | Keep for the warranty, refund or dispute window |
| Collection and regulated financial calls | Follow your regulator's period |
| Calls with an opt-out request | Keep the opt-out record itself for as long as you hold the number |
Transcripts and summaries count too
Transcripts, summaries and extracted fields contain the same personal data as the audio. A policy that deletes recordings but keeps transcripts in a CRM forever is not really a retention policy.
How Outpero fits
Outpero stores recordings and transcripts in your dashboard and can export them as CSV or send them to your webhook. Your retention rules should cover every place that data ends up, including your CRM and spreadsheets.
Retention periods differ by sector and record type. Confirm the right period with counsel or your compliance team.
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