Privacy Policy

1. Commitment to Privacy

FOGS Consultants (“FOGS”, a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Francis Thaliyacherry; GSTIN: 32AVFPT5755K1Z4; MSME Udyam: UDYAM-KL-02-0111828) respects your privacy and is dedicated to protecting the personal and professional data of experts, clients, and visitors using Expert Forge (experts.fogsconsultants.com).

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum required information necessary to provide expert discovery, credential verification, and advisory contracting:

• Expert Identity & Credential Evidence: Full legal name, contact details, identity documents, professional registration certificates (ICAI, Bar Council, etc.), educational diplomas, and Police Clearance Certificates (PCC).
• Client Business Data: Organization legal name, GSTIN, corporate representative contact information, and engagement scope specifications.
• Payment & Transaction Information: Order identifiers, invoice tranches, and transaction timestamps. We never store credit/debit card numbers, CVVs, or online banking passwords.

3. Payment Security & Aggregator Protocol

All online financial transactions are processed securely via our RBI-licensed payment gateway partner, Cashfree Payments India Private Limited. All card and UPI details are encrypted using industry-standard TLS 1.3 encryption and processed on PCI-DSS certified systems.

4. Document Vault & Row-Level Security

Uploaded verification documents, contracts, and PCC certificates are housed in isolated, encrypted cloud object storage governed by PostgreSQL Row-Level Security (RLS) policies. Only authorized compliance auditors and the verified account holder can view sensitive documentation.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

In accordance with statutory compliance and anti-fraud regulations, certain audit logs and transaction records are retained for a minimum of 7 years. Users may request access to or deletion of their non-statutory personal data by contacting our Privacy Desk at privacy@fogsconsultants.com.

6. Contact Our Grievance Officer

For grievances related to data handling, privacy compliance, or consent management, please contact:
Data Protection & Grievance Officer
FOGS Consultants and Advisory
19/274, Beth Shalom, Kongorpilly, Ernakulam - 683518, Kerala, India
Email: privacy@fogsconsultants.com