Saath Aapka, Samadhaan Hamara
Cookie Policy
1 Introduction & Legal Framework
Welcome to KarBandhu, India's specialized taxation, corporate compliance, and advisory portal operated by KarBandhu Advisory Services (hereinafter referred to as the "Data Fiduciary", "KarBandhu," "we," "our," or "us", having its principal place of administration at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India). This Cookie & Tracking Technologies Policy explains how www.karbandhu.in (the "Website") utilizes HTTP cookies, session tokens, local storage, and similar digital identifiers to recognize Users, protect login sessions, prevent fraud, optimize portal performance, and facilitate professional tax workflows.
This Policy operates in strict accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and CERT-In cyber guidelines. This Policy forms an integral component of our comprehensive compliance framework and must be read concurrently with our Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Grievance Redressal Policy.
2 What Are Cookies & Browser Web Storage
Cookies are compact text files containing encrypted strings or session identifiers placed on your computer, smartphone, or tablet when you navigate websites. Cookies enable a web platform to recognize your device across page visits, maintain active authenticated sessions without re-prompting credentials on every click, remember selected services, and analyze platform latency.
HTML5 Web Storage (Local & Session Storage): In addition to conventional HTTP cookies, KarBandhu utilizes HTML5 LocalStorage and SessionStorage. These client-side storage technologies allow our interactive financial calculators (such as EMI, SIP, Income Tax, and PPF calculators in our Knowledge Centre) and dynamic service token forms to temporarily preserve user-entered parameters locally within your browser. Web storage data remains strictly on your device and is not transmitted across the internet unless an authenticated form is affirmatively submitted.
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, cookie identifiers and device telemetry that can directly or indirectly isolate or identify an individual Data Principal constitute protected Digital Personal Data and are safeguarded accordingly.
3 Essential & Authentication Cookies
Essential cookies are technically indispensable for the operation, cryptographic integrity, and security of the KarBandhu portal. These cookies enable core functionality such as user authentication for Customer (KB-C) and Professional (KB-P) workspaces, multi-factor OTP verification, secure token generation, and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) defenses.
4 Concrete Platform Cookie Inventory
To provide complete transparency regarding the digital footprint placed on your browser, KarBandhu discloses its primary cookie and storage identifiers below:
| Cookie / Storage Key | Category | Lifespan | Operational Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| kb_session / wordpress_logged_in_* | Essential | Session / 48 Hours | Maintains encrypted member login state across taxpayer and consultant dashboards. |
| kb_nonce / wp_rest_nonce | Security | Session (12-24 Hours) | Cryptographic anti-CSRF token preventing unauthorized form tampering and token spoofing. |
| kb_pref_category / kb_pref_tab | Functional | 30 Days | Remembers your last viewed tax category (Income Tax, GST, ROC) across service catalog visits. |
| rzp_device_id / rzp_checkout_* | Payment | Session / 30 Days | Third-party secure payment token deployed by Razorpay to facilitate PCI-DSS compliant checkout. |
| kb_calc_state (localStorage) | Functional | Persistent / Device Only | Stores calculator slider values locally so financial calculations persist during browsing. |
4 Functional Cookies
The Website may also use functional cookies to remember user preferences, language settings, login information, accessibility choices, previously entered information, and other settings that improve convenience during future visits. These cookies help provide a personalized browsing experience and reduce the need for Users to repeatedly enter the same information while using the Website.
5 Analytical & Performance Cookies
KarBandhu may use analytical, statistical, and performance-related cookies to understand how Users interact with the Website, identify frequently visited pages, measure Website traffic, evaluate user engagement, monitor system performance, detect technical issues, improve Website design, optimize loading speeds, enhance service delivery, and support future development.
Information collected through such cookies may include browser type, operating system, device information, Internet Protocol (IP) address, approximate geographical location, referral sources, pages visited, session duration, clickstream information, navigation patterns, and similar technical information. Wherever reasonably possible, such information shall be processed in a manner that minimizes the identification of individual Users unless identification becomes necessary for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or service delivery.
6 Service & Support Cookies
Where applicable, KarBandhu may use cookies or similar technologies to improve customer support, remember service preferences, maintain service continuity, identify interrupted transactions, assist Users in completing pending applications, monitor Website reliability, maintain cybersecurity, prevent unauthorized access, detect suspicious activities, and improve the overall quality of the services offered through the Website.
7 Third-Party Cookies
The Website may, from time to time, use third-party technologies, plugins, embedded content, payment gateways, analytics services, cloud infrastructure providers, communication platforms, social media integrations, mapping services, customer support tools, or similar services that may independently place cookies or collect technical information in accordance with their own privacy and cookie policies.
KarBandhu does not control the operation of cookies placed by independent third parties and shall not be responsible for their data collection practices, privacy standards, or security measures. Users are encouraged to review the privacy and cookie policies of such third-party service providers before interacting with their services.
8 External Platform Cookies
Where advertisements, embedded videos, social media widgets, external links, government portals, or third-party applications are accessible through the Website, such external platforms may independently use cookies or similar technologies. KarBandhu neither endorses nor controls the cookie practices of such external platforms, and access to such services shall remain subject to their respective policies and terms of use.
9 Managing & Disabling Cookies
Users maintain absolute autonomy over their device cookies and may accept, reject, block, or delete cookies at any time via their web browser settings:
- Google Chrome: Navigate to Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies to configure blocking and clearance rules.
- Mozilla Firefox: Navigate to Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection to manage custom cookie permissions.
- Apple Safari (macOS / iOS): Navigate to Preferences / Settings → Safari → Privacy and toggle Prevent cross-site tracking or Block all cookies.
- Microsoft Edge: Navigate to Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data.
10 Consent Architecture & Global Privacy Control (GPC)
In adherence to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, KarBandhu seeks your affirmative, granular consent prior to deploying non-essential analytical or marketing telemetry. Consent is not assumed from passive browsing alone.
11 Combining Information
Information collected through cookies may be combined with other information voluntarily provided by the User where such combination is reasonably necessary for user authentication, fraud prevention, account management, service delivery, security monitoring, customer support, analytics, legal compliance, or improving the quality and reliability of the Website. Such information shall be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Policy and applicable laws.
12 Security
KarBandhu implements reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect information collected through cookies from unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Nevertheless, Users acknowledge that no internet-based technology or electronic storage system can guarantee absolute security, and the use of cookies, like all internet technologies, remains subject to certain inherent risks beyond the reasonable control of KarBandhu.
13 Policy Amendments
KarBandhu reserves the right to modify, update, amend, replace, or discontinue this Cookie Policy at any time to reflect changes in applicable laws, regulatory requirements, technological developments, Website functionality, business operations, or industry practices. Any revised version shall become effective immediately upon publication on the Website unless otherwise specified. Continued use of the Website after the publication of any revised Cookie Policy shall constitute the User's acceptance of such revised Policy.
14 Severability & Waiver
If any provision of this Cookie Policy is determined by a competent court or authority to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed severed without affecting the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect. Failure by KarBandhu to enforce any provision of this Cookie Policy shall not constitute a waiver of any legal right or remedy available under applicable law.
15 Governing Law, Exclusive Jurisdiction & Regulatory Recourse
This Cookie Policy shall be governed by, interpreted, and construed strictly in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. Any dispute, claim, controversy, or legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Cookie Policy, the use of cookies, or platform telemetry shall be subject exclusively to the jurisdiction of the competent courts situated at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Data Principals also retain the statutory right to seek guidance or file an appeal before the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) pursuant to the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
Grievance Redressal & Data Protection Officer (DPO)
For any inquiries, requests, or grievances regarding our Cookie Policy, tracking technologies, or digital consent management, you may contact our designated compliance division:
Designated Officer: Grievance Officer & Nodal Data Protection Lead
Entity: KarBandhu Advisory Services
📍 Nodal Office: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
✉️ Grievance Desk: grievance@karbandhu.in
✉️ General Support: support@karbandhu.in
📞 Helpline: +91-9115076111
🕒 Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM IST
Statutory SLA: All inquiries submitted will be acknowledged within 48 hours with a ticket ID and substantively addressed within 30 calendar days in compliance with statutory standards.