COMMUNITY GUIDELINES / CONTENT POLICY
DIGITAL STARTUP INDIA
COMMUNITY GUIDELINES / CONTENT POLICY
Last Updated: 30 August 2026
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Digital Startup India ("DSI", "we", "us", "our", or "Platform") is a startup and business community platform connecting founders, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, professionals, freelancers, students, investors, mentors and other members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
These Community Guidelines / Content Policy govern content and conduct on digitalstartupindia.com and related community features, including business and startup profiles, articles, comments, discussions, reviews, jobs and internships, events, founder stories, success stories, images, videos, messages, listings and other user-submitted material (collectively, "User Content").
These Guidelines form part of the Platform Terms & Conditions. Where a conflict exists, applicable law and the Terms & Conditions will prevail.
2. OUR COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES
We want DSI to be useful, professional, trustworthy and inclusive. Members should:
• Be respectful and professional.
• Share accurate and useful information.
• Be transparent about commercial interests.
• Respect privacy and intellectual property.
• Avoid harassment, fraud, spam and manipulation.
• Help create constructive conversations around startups, business, careers, technology and entrepreneurship.
3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Anyone interested in startups, entrepreneurship, business, technology, innovation or career growth may participate, subject to applicable law and the Platform's eligibility requirements.
Users representing a company, startup or organisation must have appropriate authority to submit information on its behalf.
4. CONTENT WE ENCOURAGE
Examples of welcome content include:
• Genuine startup and business stories.
• Founder experiences and lessons learned.
• Product and service information that is accurate and not misleading.
• Constructive questions, answers and professional discussions.
• Business opportunities and collaboration requests.
• Relevant jobs and internships.
• Event announcements.
• Educational material about entrepreneurship, technology, AI, marketing, finance and business operations.
• Government schemes and business resources presented accurately and with appropriate qualifications.
• Reviews and feedback based on genuine experience.
5. ACCURACY, HONESTY AND AUTHENTICITY
Users must make reasonable efforts to ensure that information they submit is truthful, current and not misleading.
Do not fabricate or materially exaggerate claims about revenue, funding, valuation, customers, partnerships, awards, certifications, registrations, government approvals, market position, employment, credentials or business achievements.
Where information is an opinion, estimate, forecast or personal experience, it should be presented as such.
DSI may request supporting information or clarification for selected claims, especially where content is promotional, commercially significant or subject to complaint.
6. BUSINESS AND STARTUP PROFILES
Business/startup profile owners are responsible for the accuracy and lawful use of information submitted to DSI.
Do not impersonate a business, founder, employee, investor, government body or other organisation.
Do not claim an affiliation, certification, partnership, authorisation or endorsement that does not exist.
Users must have permission to use business names, logos, photographs, testimonials and other third-party material.
7. JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
Employers and recruiters must provide genuine opportunities and accurate information about role, location, compensation where represented, eligibility and application process.
Job or internship listings must not be used to collect money through deceptive recruitment schemes, obtain unnecessary sensitive information, or misrepresent employment conditions.
Job seekers should independently verify employers and should be cautious about requests for payment, passwords, banking credentials or identity documents.
8. ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONAL AND SPONSORED CONTENT
Paid listings, sponsored articles, promotional stories and advertisements must not contain materially false, deceptive or unlawful claims.
Commercial relationships should be disclosed where required by law or Platform policy.
Payment for publication or placement does not guarantee endorsement, leads, sales, funding, investment, rankings, media coverage or any specific business result.
9. PROHIBITED CONTENT
Users must not post, upload, transmit or facilitate content that is unlawful or otherwise prohibited by these Guidelines, including:
• Fraud, scams or deceptive schemes.
• Malware, malicious code or instructions intended to compromise systems.
• Phishing, credential theft or impersonation.
• Threats, harassment, stalking or targeted abuse.
• Defamatory or knowingly false allegations presented as fact.
• Hate speech or content promoting violence against protected groups or persons.
• Sexual exploitation, sexual abuse material or exploitative content involving children.
• Unlawful sexually explicit content.
• Content that unlawfully exposes or solicits private personal information.
• Copyright, trademark or other intellectual-property infringement.
• Illegal goods, services or activities.
• Fraudulent investment opportunities or misleading financial schemes.
• Spam, repetitive unsolicited promotion or automated manipulation.
• Fake reviews, fake followers, fabricated engagement or coordinated manipulation.
• Content intended to evade moderation or security controls.
• Any other content prohibited by applicable Indian law.
10. HARASSMENT AND ABUSE
Do not threaten, intimidate, repeatedly target, humiliate or harass another person.
Disagreement is permitted; personal attacks are not.
Do not encourage others to harass, contact, threaten or expose a person outside the Platform.
Do not publish private information about another person to pressure, shame or intimidate them.
11. HATE, DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE
Content that advocates violence, celebrates serious harm, or targets individuals or groups with abusive or dehumanising content may be removed.
Professional disagreement, criticism of ideas and lawful discussion of public issues are allowed when expressed without prohibited threats or abusive conduct.
12. PRIVACY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION
Do not publish another person's private personal information without lawful authority or a legitimate basis.
Examples include private phone numbers, passwords, financial credentials, government identification details, private addresses, medical information, private correspondence and confidential documents.
Publicly available business contact information should still be used responsibly and only for legitimate purposes.
13. CHILD SAFETY
DSI does not permit content that sexually exploits, abuses or endangers children.
Do not solicit sexual material involving children or attempt to move children into unsafe interactions.
Where child-related content is necessary for legitimate business, educational or community purposes, users must ensure it is lawful, appropriate and respectful of privacy.
14. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Only submit material you own or have permission to use.
Do not copy articles, photographs, videos, logos, designs, software, trademarks or other protected material without appropriate rights.
Where required, provide accurate attribution and comply with the licence terms applicable to the material.
15. AI-GENERATED AND SYNTHETIC CONTENT
AI-assisted content is permitted where it is lawful, accurate and not misleading.
Do not use AI to impersonate people, fabricate evidence, create deceptive business claims, manipulate public perception, or misrepresent synthetic material as authentic where disclosure is required.
Where applicable law or Platform rules require labelling or disclosure of synthetically generated or materially altered content, users must comply with those requirements.
16. REVIEWS, TESTIMONIALS AND FEEDBACK
Reviews should reflect genuine experience or a clearly identified opinion.
Do not post fake reviews, reviews created in exchange for undisclosed benefits, reviews on behalf of competitors for manipulation, or coordinated campaigns intended to distort reputation.
Businesses may respond professionally to criticism but must not threaten reviewers or publish their private information.
17. FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT CONTENT
Financial or investment-related content must not knowingly mislead users.
Do not guarantee returns, fabricate performance data, impersonate regulated entities, or solicit funds through deceptive schemes.
Users should clearly distinguish educational information, personal opinions, forecasts and regulated professional advice.
18. GOVERNMENT, LICENCE AND CERTIFICATION CLAIMS
Do not falsely claim government recognition, approval, registration, licence, certification, subsidy eligibility, accreditation or official partnership.
Where a government scheme or regulatory requirement is discussed, users should avoid presenting outdated eligibility or procedural information as current fact.
19. SPAM AND PLATFORM MANIPULATION
Do not use DSI to distribute unsolicited bulk messages, repetitive promotional content, irrelevant links or automated submissions.
Do not create multiple accounts or use coordinated activity to manipulate rankings, reviews, engagement, listings or community discussions.
Do not scrape or systematically collect member information without permission or lawful authority.
20. EXTERNAL LINKS
Links may be removed where they lead to malware, phishing, scams, unlawful content, deceptive schemes or material that materially violates these Guidelines.
Users are responsible for checking the destination and legitimacy of external websites before sharing them.
21. MODERATION AND ENFORCEMENT
DSI may review reported or otherwise identified content and take proportionate action based on the circumstances, applicable law and Platform policies.
Possible actions include:
• Warning or educational notice.
• Request for correction or additional information.
• Removal or editing of content.
• Restriction of visibility or features.
• Temporary suspension.
• Permanent account termination.
• Blocking repeat or coordinated abuse.
• Preservation or disclosure of information where required or permitted by law.
• Referral to appropriate authorities where necessary.
22. SERIOUS OR REPEAT VIOLATIONS
DSI may take stronger action for serious violations, repeated misconduct, credible threats, fraud, child-safety concerns, major privacy violations, impersonation, malicious activity or unlawful conduct.
Enforcement may occur without prior warning where necessary to protect users, the Platform, evidence, security or legal compliance.
23. REPORTING CONTENT
Users can report content or conduct that may violate these Guidelines by contacting:
Email: contact@digitalstartupindia.com
Phone: +91 8295257293
Head Office: New Delhi, India
Working Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM IST
Reports should, where possible, include the relevant URL or profile, a description of the issue, the reason for the report and supporting evidence.
24. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY COMPLAINTS
Rights holders may contact DSI regarding suspected infringement. A useful complaint should identify the protected work, the allegedly infringing material, its location, the complainant's rights and relevant supporting information.
DSI may remove, restrict or otherwise address material where appropriate and in accordance with applicable law.
25. GRIEVANCE HANDLING
Where DSI is subject to intermediary obligations under applicable law, it will maintain and operate the required grievance mechanisms and comply with applicable timelines and procedures.
India's Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were updated by MeitY on 10 February 2026, with a corrigendum on 26 February 2026. The Platform will update its procedures as applicable law and regulatory requirements evolve.
26. EMERGENCY AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT MATTERS
Where content presents an immediate safety risk, credible threat, suspected child exploitation, serious fraud, cyber abuse or other unlawful conduct, DSI may take urgent action and may cooperate with competent authorities where required or permitted by law.
27. USER APPEALS / REVIEW REQUESTS
If your content or account is restricted and you believe the action was incorrect, you may request a review by contacting DSI with the relevant details.
Review requests should explain why the content complies with the Guidelines and provide supporting context. DSI may maintain restrictions where required for safety, legal compliance, repeated violations or other legitimate reasons.
28. NO GUARANTEE OF PUBLICATION OR CONTINUED AVAILABILITY
Submission of content does not guarantee publication, continued publication, ranking, promotion or distribution.
DSI may edit for formatting, grammar, length, legal risk, clarity or editorial consistency, and may remove content where appropriate.
29. USER RESPONSIBILITY
You remain responsible for the content you submit and for your conduct on the Platform.
By submitting User Content, you confirm that you have the rights, permissions and lawful basis necessary to submit it and that it does not knowingly violate these Guidelines or applicable law.
30. RELATIONSHIP WITH TERMS AND PRIVACY POLICY
These Guidelines should be read with the Digital Startup India Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Content moderation may involve processing personal data. Such processing is subject to the applicable Privacy Policy and law.
31. POLICY CHANGES
DSI may update these Guidelines when Platform features, community needs, security risks or applicable laws change.
Material changes will be published on the Platform with an updated effective date where appropriate.
32. GOVERNING LAW
These Guidelines are governed by the laws of India, subject to applicable law and mandatory statutory rights.
33. CONTACT INFORMATION
Digital Startup India
Email: contact@digitalstartupindia.com
Head Office: New Delhi, India
Website: https://digitalstartupindia.com
Working Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM IST
34. QUICK COMMUNITY CHECKLIST
Before posting, ask:
1. Is this accurate?
2. Do I have the right to publish it?
3. Does it respect another person's privacy?
4. Is it free from fraud, threats and harassment?
5. Is any commercial relationship clearly represented?
6. Could the information materially mislead another user?
7. Am I sharing sensitive information unnecessarily?
8. If AI was used, am I complying with applicable disclosure requirements?
9. Would I be comfortable standing behind this post publicly?
10. Does it comply with Indian law and the DSI Terms?
35. IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTE
These Guidelines are intended to establish community standards and content-moderation rules. They are not a substitute for legal advice.
Whether a particular provision or procedure applies to DSI depends on the Platform's actual functionality, scale, content categories, intermediary status and applicable law. DSI should periodically review this Policy with Indian technology/media counsel, particularly if it expands into large-scale user-generated content, news/current-affairs publishing, paid community services, messaging, or other regulated activities.
Disclaimer :“Digital Startup India is an independent private platform and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of India, DPIIT or the official Startup India initiative.”