Privacy Policy — The Secret I

Last updated: 26 September 2026

1. Who we are

The Secret I ("we", "us", "the Platform") is operated by Avibhaktam Solutions (OPC) Private Limited, a one person company registered in India (CIN U47912KA2024OPC182492), with its registered office at E503, Rohan Iksha, Bhoganhalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103 (GSTIN 29AAZCA8646A1Z5). We run the website thesecreti.in, which connects people ("Members") with independent mentors and coaches ("Mentors") for one-on-one sessions grounded in Indian scripture and modern neuroscience.

For the purposes of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), we are the Data Fiduciary for the personal data described in this policy.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains what personal data we collect when you use the Platform — including our AI guide, bookings, payments, video sessions, messaging, reviews and blog comments — why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have.

By creating an account or using the Platform you consent to the processing described here. Where we process sensitive data — such as what you tell us about your mental or emotional wellbeing, or a Mentor's bank and PAN details — we rely on your explicit consent, which you give by using the relevant feature after being shown this policy. You can withdraw consent at any time (see §13).

3. What we collect

You give us directly

• Account details: name, email address, phone number, password (stored only in hashed form — we cannot read it), and whether you are a Member or a Mentor.
• Booking details: the sessions and packages you book, their date and time, and any notes you add when booking.
• Messages and files: messages you send to our AI guide, messages and files exchanged between Members and Mentors, reviews and ratings, and blog comments.
• Session recordings: video and audio of your sessions, and transcripts made from them (see §6.2).
• Mentors additionally: profile content (bio, specialties, languages, experience, photo, intro video), the age range of the people they coach, availability, and — for payouts — PAN, bank account number, IFSC and registered address.

We infer

• When you talk to our AI guide, we may infer your approximate age, years of career experience, relationship status, or your child's age from what you write, and note which topic you chose (for example "Career uncertainty"). We use this only to suggest a suitable Mentor (see §7).

Collected automatically

• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and pages visited. We use IP address and a session identifier to limit how often the AI guide can be used, and to block repeated failed login attempts.
• Cookies: see §10.
• Error reports: when something breaks, technical details of the failing request (see §8, Sentry).

We do not collect card numbers, UPI PINs or net-banking credentials. You enter those on Razorpay's payment form, not ours (see §5).

4. How we use it

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

5. Payments, video sessions and email — what we share

We use two providers to run bookings. They receive only what they need.

Razorpay (payments, refunds and Mentor payouts)

Razorpay Software Pvt. Ltd. processes all payments on the Platform.

• When a Member pays: we send Razorpay the amount, your name, email and phone number (to pre-fill the payment form), and internal reference numbers for the booking, you and the Mentor. You enter your card, UPI or bank details directly on Razorpay's form — they never pass through or are stored on our servers. We keep Razorpay's order and payment reference numbers and the amounts, so we can confirm payment and issue refunds.
• Refunds are issued through Razorpay to your original payment method.
• When a Mentor is set up for payouts: to create the Mentor's payout account and complete Razorpay's identity (KYC) checks, we send Razorpay the Mentor's name, email, phone number, PAN, registered address, bank account number and IFSC. We then use Razorpay to transfer each Mentor's share of the fee, hold it until the session is delivered, and recover it if a session is cancelled or refunded.

Razorpay handles this data under its own privacy policy: https://razorpay.com/privacy/. Payment data is protected under PCI-DSS standards maintained by Razorpay.

Zoho (video sessions and email)

Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. provides our video sessions and our email delivery.

• Zoho Meeting: for each paid session we create a video meeting and send Zoho the Member's email address (so they can be invited), the start time and length, and a meeting title that includes the Mentor's name. The meeting is hosted on our Zoho account, and sessions are recorded — see §6.2. Recordings are stored by Zoho on our account.
• Zoho ZeptoMail: sends our emails. Zoho receives the recipient's name and email address and the content of the email — for example a booking confirmation showing the Mentor, the time and the meeting link, a reminder, a password reset link, or an alert that you have a new message.

Zoho handles this data under its own privacy policy: https://www.zoho.com/privacy.html.

Between Members and Mentors

When you book, your Mentor sees your name, your booking details and any notes you add, and can message you on the Platform. Mentors do not receive your email address or phone number from us, and are not permitted to ask for them (see our Terms of Service).

6. Chats, session recordings and safety monitoring

6.1 Chats

Messages on the Platform are not private from us. All conversations — with our AI guide, and between Members and Mentors, including any files shared — are stored on our systems and may be reviewed by automated tools and by authorised Secret I staff in order to:

• keep Members and Mentors safe, and act on anything that suggests a risk of harm;
• investigate reports of abuse, harassment, fraud or other misuse;
• check Mentors are keeping to our Terms, including keeping contact and payment on the Platform;
• resolve disputes about sessions, cancellations or refunds; and
• improve the AI guide and the service.

Access is limited to staff who need it for these purposes. Please do not send sensitive information you don't need to — such as bank details, ID numbers or passwords — in any chat.

If a message suggests someone is at serious risk of harm, we may take reasonable steps to help, which can include contacting emergency services where the law permits.

6.2 Session recordings

Video sessions are recorded by default. You will be told this before you book, and Zoho shows a recording indicator during the session. Recordings (video, audio, and any transcript we generate from them) are used in two ways:

a) To run the service — every session. Authorised staff may review a recording to keep people safe, investigate a complaint or report of misuse, resolve a dispute about a session, cancellation or refund, and check the quality of our Mentors' work. This is part of providing the service; if you don't want your session recorded, you can choose "don't record this session" when you book, or ask your Mentor to stop the recording at the start of the session.

b) For training and AI — only if you opt in. When booking you can tick a separate box (unticked by default) to allow us to also use your recordings and transcripts to:

• train and coach our Mentors — for example, reviewing anonymised excerpts in Mentor training;
• give your future sessions context — using summaries of your past sessions so your Mentor, or our AI tools, can pick up where you left off. This means the transcript is processed by our AI providers (§8). We do not use it to retrain or fine-tune AI models; and
• develop AI assistants and agents for the Platform, using the content of sessions as reference material.

You can say no and still book and use the Platform normally. You can withdraw this consent at any time (§13): we will stop using your recordings for these purposes and remove them from the material our AI tools draw on.

c) Marketing — separate permission each time. We will never use a recording, clip or quote from your session publicly, or show it to prospective Members, without asking you specifically for that use first. Everyone who appears in it, including the Mentor, must agree.

Mentors agree to their sessions being recorded and used on the same basis under their Mentor Agreement.

7. Our AI guide

• The guide's replies are generated by artificial intelligence. They can be wrong, and they are not advice — see our Terms of Service.
• To produce a reply, the text of your conversation is sent to our AI providers: Sarvam AI (generates the reply) and Jina AI (turns your latest message into a search query over our site content). See §8.
• To suggest a Mentor, the guide may infer details about you (age, career experience, relationship status, your child's age) from what you write, and may ask you for them. You don't have to answer. The guide uses these details to match you to Mentors whose stated audience fits; we store them with your chat so the guide doesn't ask twice.
• We keep a record of which Mentor the guide suggested and whether you opened their profile, so we can improve suggestions.

8. Other service providers and where data is processed

Besides Razorpay and Zoho (§5), we use:

Each provider may only use the data to provide its service to us. Some of them process data outside India. Where that happens, we transfer it only to countries not restricted by the Government of India under the DPDP Act.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, a court order or a government authority, or to protect the safety of any person.

9. Children

The Platform is intended for adults. Young people aged 13 to 17 may use it only with the verifiable consent of a parent or lawful guardian, who is responsible for the young person's use of the Platform. We do not knowingly allow anyone under 13 to use the Platform.

For users under 18 we:

• obtain a parent's or guardian's consent before processing their data;
• do not use analytics cookies or build usage profiles;
• do not use the AI guide's inferred details for anything beyond suggesting a Mentor;
• record sessions only with the parent's or guardian's consent, and never use a minor's recordings for training, AI or marketing (§6.2b–c) — even if opted in; and
• never use their data for advertising.

If you believe a child is using the Platform without consent, contact our Grievance Officer (§14) and we will delete their data.

10. Cookies and analytics

We use:

• Essential cookies — to keep you logged in, protect forms against cross-site attacks, and remember your session. The site cannot work without them.
• Analytics cookies (PostHog) — only if you click "Accept" on our cookie banner. You can decline and use the Platform normally.

11. How long we keep your data

We may keep data longer if we need it to resolve a dispute, investigate misuse, or comply with a legal obligation.

12. Security

We protect your data with encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, restricted staff access, and providers who maintain their own security standards. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your personal data, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as the DPDP Act requires.

13. Your rights

Under the DPDP Act you can:

• access a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we use it;
• correct, complete or update it;
• erase it, where we no longer need it for the purpose you gave it for or to meet a legal obligation;
• withdraw your consent at any time — this won't affect processing already done, but we may no longer be able to provide some services;
• nominate someone to exercise these rights if you die or become incapacitated; and
• complain to us (§14), and then to the Data Protection Board of India if you are not satisfied.

To exercise any of these, email our Grievance Officer (§14). We may need to verify your identity first.

14. Grievance Officer and contact

Indraneel P, Co-founder E503, Rohan Iksha, Bhoganhalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103 Email: indraneel.p@thesecreti.in

We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within 15 days.

General support: support@thesecreti.in

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. If we make a significant change, we will tell you by email or on the Platform before it takes effect, and ask for fresh consent where the law requires it.