Privacy policy

1. Who we are and what this policy covers

Smithika Food Products manufactures our roasted peanuts, chikkis and savoury snacks, and packs our dates range. The brand is marketed by Shashini Food Products. In this draft, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Shashini Food Products in relation to the Smithika brand. The entity responsible for operating the website, apps and handling customer information must be confirmed before launch.

This policy is intended to explain how personal information is handled when you visit smithikafoods.in, use a Smithika mobile application that links to this policy, contact us or purchase our products. Third-party app stores and payment services have their own privacy notices.

2. Information collected and why

When the relevant service is enabled, the information needed may include:

• Contact and delivery information: your name, telephone number, email address and billing or shipping address, to respond to enquiries, fulfil orders and send service messages.
• Order and transaction records: products, quantities, order references, payment status, refund details and invoices, for fulfilment, accounting and dispute handling.
• Account information: login identifiers and saved preferences, if you choose to create an account.
• Customer communications: messages, complaints and information you voluntarily provide, to assist you and resolve issues.
• Technical information: IP address, browser and device details, service logs and session information, where needed to deliver the service, diagnose errors and prevent misuse.
• Marketing preferences: your chosen communication channels and consent records, if you opt in to promotional messages.

We intend to collect only information reasonably needed for a stated purpose. Optional information will be distinguished from information needed to fulfil a request. Refusing essential delivery information may prevent us from completing an order.

3. Consent, communications and payments

Where consent is required, it will be requested for the relevant purpose. Optional marketing consent should be separate from completing a purchase. You may withdraw marketing consent using the unsubscribe option or the contact details below. Necessary order, security and legal communications may still be sent.

Online payments, if offered, should be processed by the payment provider identified at checkout. The final policy must accurately describe any payment information we receive or retain. Do not send us card PINs, CVVs, UPI PINs, passwords or payment OTPs by email or telephone.

4. Cookies, external services and mobile permissions

The design preview saves the names of products you add to your wishlist in this browser’s local storage. This is not linked to an account or sent to our server. Remove saved products using the wishlist or clear the site’s browser data. If browser storage is unavailable, favourites last only for the current page visit.

The live service may need cookies or similar technologies for sessions, saved preferences and shopping features. Any analytics or advertising tools, their purposes and available consent controls must be disclosed before activation. Browser settings can restrict cookies, although some features may then stop working.

For any mobile app, the final notice must list the actual permissions, device identifiers and third-party SDKs it uses. Optional permissions should be requested when needed and controlled through device settings. App-store privacy disclosures must match the app's real data practices. An app-store download does not, by itself, imply consent to marketing.

5. Sharing information

Information may be shared, only as necessary for the relevant purpose, with delivery partners, payment providers, hosting and technology providers, customer-support providers and professional advisers. Details may also be disclosed when legally required, in response to a valid legal process or to address fraud and security incidents.

Service providers should have appropriate confidentiality, security and purpose restrictions. Any overseas processing, actual providers and applicable safeguards must be confirmed before publication. Any use for advertising, sale of information or other independent third-party purposes must be specifically disclosed and supported by the permissions required by law.

Food-safety concerns and production media

If you report a food-safety issue, relevant contact, order, batch and complaint details may be used to investigate, trace affected products, support a recall or respond to a lawful request from a food-safety authority. Share only information needed for the concern. This is a description of data handling, not a food-safety certification.

Our production blog currently has no videos, visitor uploads or comments. Before adding embedded video services, we will review and disclose their actual data and cookie practices. Identifiable people in production photos and videos should be featured only with appropriate permission or another lawful basis.

6. Retention and security

Personal information should be kept only for the stated purpose or for a period required by applicable tax, accounting, dispute-resolution or other legal obligations. When it is no longer needed, it should be deleted or anonymised. Account deletion may not immediately remove records that must legally be retained or information held in protected backups pending their normal expiry.

Appropriate technical and organisational safeguards should protect customer information, including restricted access and secure handling. The final policy must reflect the safeguards actually implemented. No internet service can promise absolute security. Breaches will be assessed and affected individuals or authorities notified where applicable law requires it.

7. Your requests and choices

You may contact us to request access to information you provided, correction of inaccurate details, deletion where permitted, withdrawal of consent or assistance with a privacy concern. Any statutory rights under India's data-protection framework apply subject to the relevant provisions being in force and applicable to the processing concerned.

We may ask for proportionate verification before acting on a request. If we cannot fulfil it, we will explain the applicable reason. Withdrawal does not invalidate prior lawful processing and may affect services that depend on the information.

8. Children

The proposed online ordering service is intended for adults aged 18 or over. If we learn that a child's information was collected improperly, we will take appropriate steps to address it. Any processing involving children must comply with applicable requirements, including parental consent where required. Contact us if you believe a child has supplied personal information without appropriate permission.

9. Contact and privacy complaints

For privacy requests or complaints, use the subject line “Privacy request — Smithika Food Products” and describe your concern without sending passwords or payment credentials.

Designated Grievance Officer: name and designation to be confirmed before publication. Privacy complaints should be handled within the applicable statutory period. Where the 2011 sensitive-personal-data rules apply, grievances must be redressed expeditiously and within one month of receipt. This does not limit any right to approach a competent authority.

10. Governing law and Madurai jurisdiction

This policy shall be governed by the applicable laws of India. Subject to mandatory statutory provisions, disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the jurisdiction of competent courts in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Nothing in this policy excludes or restricts a customer's right to approach a competent consumer commission, data-protection authority or other statutory forum, including a forum outside Madurai where applicable law permits it.

11. Updates to this policy

We will publish the effective date and revised policy when this draft is adopted. Material changes to data practices should be communicated as required by applicable law; fresh consent will be obtained where required.