1. Introduction

Forum for Excellence in Arbitration & Mediation ("FEAM", "we", "us", or "our") is a Section 8 company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, bearing CIN U88900MH2026NPL469970, with its registered office at [FULL JOGESHWARI ADDRESS], Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our website (feam.in), submit forms, correspond with us, or engage with any of our services — including arbitration administration, mediation services, panel empanelment, and training programmes.

By accessing or using our website and services, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of it, please do not use the website or submit personal information to us.

2. Applicable Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and drafted in accordance with:

• The Information Technology Act, 2000 ("IT Act")
• The Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 ("SPDI Rules")
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), to the extent its provisions and rules have been notified and are in force

As the rules under the DPDP Act are progressively notified, we will update this policy to reflect any additional obligations that apply to us.

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only to the extent necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The categories of data and the contexts in which they are collected are set out below.

We do not collect sensitive personal data or information (as defined under the SPDI Rules) — such as passwords, financial information, biometric data, health records, or sexual orientation — through our website. If any such data is incidentally included in documents submitted as part of a case filing, it is treated with the confidentiality obligations that apply to those proceedings.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes and no others:

• To respond to your enquiries and communicate with you about our services
• To administer dispute resolution proceedings (arbitration and mediation) in our capacity as an administering institution
• To evaluate empanelment applications and maintain our panel of arbitrators and mediators
• To process enrolment and administer training programmes
• To improve and maintain our website based on aggregate, anonymised usage data
• To comply with applicable law, regulation, or legal process

We do not use your personal information for marketing purposes, automated decision-making, or profiling, unless you have given us separate, specific consent to do so.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it in the following limited circumstances:

• Dispute resolution proceedings: Information submitted in connection with a case filing is shared with the opposing party, the appointed tribunal or mediator, and any other person to whom disclosure is required under the FEAM Institutional Rules or applicable law. This is inherent to the dispute resolution process.
• Service providers: We use Google Workspace (including Google Forms) and standard web hosting infrastructure to operate our services. These providers process data on our behalf and are subject to their own privacy commitments.
• Legal obligation: We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics, which places cookies on your device to collect anonymised data about how visitors interact with the site. This data includes pages visited, time spent on the site, browser type, and approximate geographic location (derived from anonymised IP addresses).

Google Analytics data is processed by Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. We do not combine analytics data with any personally identifiable information.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by adjusting your browser's cookie settings.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected:

• Contact enquiries: retained for up to 12 months after the enquiry is resolved, unless the correspondence leads to a continuing relationship.
• Case filing records: retained for the duration of the proceedings and for a period of at least 7 years thereafter, in accordance with applicable limitation and regulatory requirements.
• Empanelment records: retained for the duration of empanelment and for 3 years after its expiry or termination.
• Training programme records: retained for 3 years after programme completion.
• Analytics data: retained in anonymised form as configured in Google Analytics (default: 14 months).

When the retention period expires, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable security practices and procedures, as required under the SPDI Rules, to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through the website
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel
• Use of reputable, commercially supported hosting and email infrastructure

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted to or stored by us.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access — request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you, and obtain a copy of it
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Erasure — request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal obligation or legitimate interest that requires its retention
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on your consent, withdraw that consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal)
• Grievance redressal — raise a concern or complaint about our handling of your personal data

To exercise any of these rights, write to us at the contact details in Section 11 below. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including Google Forms (for empanelment applications) and other third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

11. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the IT Act, 2000 and the SPDI Rules, the contact details of the person designated to address grievances and data-related concerns are:

Grievances will be acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within 30 days of receipt.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable law. Any material changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.