Privacy Policy

1 Overview & Scope

This Privacy Policy explains how Shree Mata ("Shree Mata", "we", "us", or "our"), operating as Shree Mata Book Agency and Publication Center from Hubballi, Karnataka - 580031 (GSTIN: 29GZTPP0335K1ZL), collects, receives, stores, uses, and handles customer information when you visit or make a purchase on our website (https://shreemata.com) or use our official Android mobile application.

By accessing our website, creating a customer account, ordering educational books or curriculum packages, or downloading our mobile application, you acknowledge that you have read this policy and understand our personal information handling practices as described herein.

2 Personal Information Handled

We collect only the information necessary to maintain customer accounts, fulfill orders for physical books and digital study materials, calculate eligible referral rewards, process transactions, and provide customer support.

A. Information Provided Directly by Customers

• Account & Contact Data: When registering on our website or mobile application, we collect your full name, mobile telephone number, email address, and account password. Passwords are cryptographically hashed using the bcrypt algorithm before storage in our database; plaintext passwords are never stored, logged, or accessible to our staff.
• Delivery & Shipping Details: To fulfill physical book orders and grade bundles, we collect recipient contact details including delivery address, street/locality, landmark, city, state, postal PIN code, and contact telephone number.
• Order & Purchase History: Details of items purchased, textbook bundles, quantities, order status, total price, selected fulfillment mode (courier delivery or physical store pickup), and shipping carrier tracking identifiers.
• Customer Support Correspondence: Information you provide when contacting our support channels via telephone, WhatsApp, or email regarding order inquiries, dispatch status, or account questions.

B. Technical & Device Information Handled by the Application

• Mobile App Screen Protection: In our official Android mobile application, the app technical shell utilizes Android's FLAG_SECURE security controls (via our native ScreenSecurityPlugin) when viewing protected curriculum notes. This technical restriction prevents unauthorized screenshots and third-party screen recordings of protected educational materials.
• Camera & Photo Storage Access: In the Android application, camera and photo media storage permissions (such as CAMERA, READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, or storage access) are requested solely if and when you choose to use the in-app scanner to take a photo of or select an existing image of your UPI QR code during account payout or withdrawal setup. The image is processed to decode your UPI ID. Camera or photo access is never initiated in the background or for unrelated purposes.
• UPI & Messaging App Interactions: To facilitate seamless checkout and support, the Android application declares queries for installed UPI payment applications (such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm) to allow Razorpay's checkout interface to initiate direct UPI payment intent transactions, as well as WhatsApp for customer support inquiries and sharing referral links.
• Network & Session Requests: Standard HTTP server request metadata transmitted during API communication over HTTPS, such as client IP address and user-agent strings, used for session validation and system stability.

3 Browser Storage & Local Technologies

Our website and mobile application utilize client-side localStorage within your device browser to enable essential website operations. We do not use third-party behavioral advertising trackers.

You can clear local storage at any time through your browser's history and site data settings. Clearing this storage will sign you out and empty any unsubmitted items in your shopping cart.

4 Payment Processing & Payment Service Providers

We take the confidentiality of financial transactions seriously. Our payment processing operates as follows:

• Independent Payment Gateway: Online electronic transactions on Shree Mata are processed through Razorpay (Razorpay Software Private Limited), an independent payment aggregator authorized by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Zero Sensitive Card / UPI Storage: Shree Mata does not collect, process, or store sensitive payment card numbers, CVVs, card expiration dates, netbanking credentials, or UPI PINs on its own servers. All interactive payment submissions occur directly on Razorpay's secure checkout interface.
• Transaction Verification: Upon completion of a transaction, Razorpay securely transmits a cryptographic payment identifier (razorpay_payment_id) and order reference to our server to verify that the transaction was successfully settled before your order is processed for packing or dispatch.
• Offline & School Bundle Payments: For bulk educational orders or institutional school sets where offline payment (such as direct bank transfer or cheque) is approved, customer billing records and payment confirmation references are reconciled manually by our accounts department against our bank accounts prior to delivery dispatch.

5 Purpose of Data Processing

Shree Mata uses personal data exclusively for lawful and explicit business purposes:

• Order Processing & Fulfillment: Verifying order contents, packaging textbooks and grade sets, generating physical invoices, dispatching parcels, or preparing orders for store pickup at our Hubballi branch.
• Logistics Communication: Transmitting order confirmation notices, courier tracking numbers, and delivery updates via SMS, telephone, or email.
• Customer Support: Assisting customers with order inquiries, product availability, returns assessment, and address updates.
• Wallet & Referral Program Administration: Calculating cashback allocations on qualifying purchases, maintaining customer wallet ledger balances, and calculating legitimate referral rewards within our multi-tier network in accordance with published terms.
• Statutory Recordkeeping: Complying with mandatory legal obligations under Indian tax laws, including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, commercial accounting standards, and other applicable statutory regulations.

6 Third-Party Disclosures & Data Sharing

Shree Mata does not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to marketing aggregators or third-party advertising brokers. Data is shared strictly on a need-to-know basis with the following service providers:

• Logistics & Courier Carriers: Customer name, shipping address, landmark, PIN code, and telephone number are shared with domestic logistics providers (such as TPC India or postal/courier partners) strictly to execute physical doorstep delivery of book packages.
• Payment Aggregators: Order amounts and reference numbers are transmitted to Razorpay to facilitate payment processing.
• Cloud Hosting & Database Infrastructure: Server and application data is maintained on cloud hosting environments (such as Amazon Web Services / cloud database servers) supporting our application.
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities: Personal information may be disclosed if required to do so by applicable Indian law, court order, or written notice from law enforcement or tax authorities exercising lawful jurisdiction.

7 Data Storage, Security & Retention

We employ operational and technical precautions commensurate with an educational bookstore to safeguard personal data:

• Network Encryption: Communications between customer web browsers or the mobile app and our backend servers are transmitted using HTTPS encryption.
• Authentication Security: Accounts are secured via password hashes (using bcrypt) and authenticated sessions are validated through signed JSON Web Tokens (JWT).
• Administrative Access Controls: Access to backend customer order records and customer contact details is restricted to authorized administrative personnel.
• Data Retention: We retain customer account and order information for as long as your account remains active or as required to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. Transaction records, tax invoices, and payment histories are retained for mandatory statutory periods mandated under Indian taxation and corporate record-retention statutes.

8 Customer Privacy Rights & Deletion Requests

Subject to applicable Indian law, customers possess rights regarding their personal data:

• Access & Correction: You may view and edit your profile details, phone number, and delivery addresses at any time by logging into your account at https://shreemata.com/account.html.
• Account & Data Deletion Requests: If you wish to delete your account or request erasure of your personal data, you may submit a formal request from your registered email address or phone number to shree.mata.hbl@gmail.com.
• Statutory Retention Limitations: Upon receiving a verifiable deletion request, we will deactivate your account and delete personal identifiers where permitted. However, please note that completed order records, invoices, tax calculations, and accounting entries cannot be deleted prior to the expiration of mandatory retention periods prescribed under Indian tax laws (including GST regulations).

9 Minor & Children's Privacy

Shree Mata distributes school curriculum textbooks, study guides, and grade packages intended for students, including minors. However, commercial e-commerce transactions, user registration, and financial payments must be conducted under the active supervision and with the express consent of a parent, legal guardian, or authorized educational institution.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 18 years of age without parental or guardian oversight. If a parent or guardian discovers that a minor has created an account without approval, please contact us at shree.mata.hbl@gmail.com so we may take appropriate steps to manage or close the account.

10 Policy Updates & Revisions

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect operational modifications, platform enhancements, or evolving legal requirements. When updates are published, the revised document will be posted on this page with an updated "Effective Date". Continued use of our website or mobile application following such updates signifies your acknowledgment of the revised policy.

11 Grievance Redressal & Contact Information

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, questions, concerns, or grievances concerning data privacy should be addressed to our verified business contacts: