Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Harvex ("we," "our," "us," or the "Platform"). Harvex is a digital ecosystem built for Indian farmers, connecting them directly with buyers, middlemen, and consumers, while providing tools for crop selling, real-time mandi prices, plant pharmacy, farmer-to-farmer trading, and a social video feed.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your information when you use our mobile application and web admin dashboard (collectively, the "Services"). By using Harvex, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) of India and follow international best practices for data protection.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

For Farmers:

• Full name and phone number
• Farm location (village, district, state, GPS coordinates)
• Farm business type (crop farming, poultry, dairy, goat, fish, etc.)
• Crops being cultivated, sowing dates, expected harvest dates, and quantities
• Livestock details and produce information
• Profile photograph (optional)

For Buyers (Companies, Wholesalers, Retailers):

• Company or individual name
• Contact details (phone, email)
• Business location
• Crop and produce requirements, buying capacity

For Middlemen / Agents:

• Full name and phone number
• Business name or trader name
• Location and operational areas
• Types of crops or produce dealt in

For Farmer Market Users (Public Consumers):

• Name, phone number, and location

2.2 KYC (Know Your Customer) Information

When you finalise a transaction on Harvex, we collect:

• Aadhaar card (front and back images)
• Live selfie for face-match verification
• Optional: Kisan Credit Card or land ownership documents (for farmers)
• Optional: GST number or trade licence (for buyers and businesses)

KYC documents are collected only at the point of transaction completion and stored in encrypted form. They are visible exclusively to authorised admin personnel and are never shared with other users.

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information (model, operating system, unique device identifiers)
• App usage data (screens visited, features used, time spent)
• Location data (GPS, when permission is granted, used for language auto-detection and finding nearby mandis or transport)
• Log data (IP address, access times, app crashes, performance metrics)
• Cookies and similar technologies on the admin web dashboard

2.4 Information from Transactions

• Crop listings, buyer posts, and Farmers Market posts you create
• Messages exchanged through in-app chat
• Pharmacy orders, transport bookings, and soil test requests
• Ratings and reviews given and received
• Complete crop and farm business timeline (sowing, harvest, yield, price, buyer)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account and verify your identity
• Enable you to list crops, post requirements, browse listings, and complete transactions
• Provide real-time mandi prices filtered by city and personalised price alerts
• Recommend pharmacy products
• Match you with verified transport providers
• Coordinate free and paid soil health testing
• Facilitate farmer-to-farmer trading on Farmers Market
• Deliver targeted notifications (e.g., a price alert for ginger in Nashik sent only to ginger farmers in that region)
• Maintain a permanent crop timeline that helps generate accurate price alerts, supply forecasts, and personalised recommendations
• Moderate listings, posts, videos, and reviews to keep the platform safe
• Improve our services through analytics and product research
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 Contact Privacy Rule

Your phone number, email, and personal contact details remain hidden from other users until both parties have completed KYC verification AND a deal has been confirmed inside the app. All negotiation must happen through in-app chat.

4.2 With Other Users (Limited)

• Your name, location (village/district/state level), KYC verification badge, ratings, public reviews, and listings are visible to other users.
• Aggregate (anonymised) crop supply data may be visible to buyers and admin to help with procurement planning.

4.3 With Service Providers

We share necessary information with trusted third parties who help us operate the Services, including:

• Cloud hosting and storage providers (e.g., AWS, Firebase)
• Communication providers (SMS/OTP, push notifications)
• Government price data sources (e.g., Agmarknet) where applicable
• Soil testing partner laboratories and field agents
• Transport partners (only the booking details necessary to fulfil your trip)

These providers are contractually required to safeguard your data and use it only to deliver services to Harvex.

4.4 With Authorities

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of users or the public.

4.5 Business Transfers

If Harvex is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.6 We Do Not Sell Your Personal Data

Harvex does not sell your personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

5. Advertising

Harvex includes an in-app advertising system that may show banner ads and short video ads between farming reels. Ads are limited to agriculture-related categories: fertilizers, seeds, equipment, farm insurance, and agri-banking. We do not share your personally identifiable information with advertisers. Ads may be turned off entirely by our team at any time.

6. Data Retention

• Account information: Retained as long as your account is active.
• Crop timeline data: Retained indefinitely as part of your farming history. You may view your full history within the app.
• KYC documents: Retained as long as required by law and for fraud prevention.
• Chat messages and transaction records: Retained for the duration required by law and for dispute resolution.
• Deleted accounts: When you request deletion, your personal data is removed within a reasonable period, except where retention is required by law.

7. Data Security

We protect your information using:

• HTTPS / TLS encryption on all API calls
• Bcrypt password hashing (no plain-text passwords stored)
• OTPs that expire within 5 minutes and are single-use
• Two-factor authentication for admin panel access
• Encrypted storage of KYC documents
• Malware scanning of all uploaded media

Despite our safeguards, no system is completely secure. We encourage you to use a strong device passcode and never share your OTP with anyone.

8. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information through your profile settings
• Delete your account and request data erasure
• Export your data in a portable format (CSV)
• Withdraw consent for specific data uses (e.g., location, notifications)
• Object to certain processing activities
• Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India

To exercise these rights, contact us at the email listed in Section 14.

9. Children's Privacy

Harvex is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, please contact us so we can remove the account.

10. Location Data

Harvex uses GPS for:

• Detecting your state on first launch to auto-set the app language
• Displaying nearby mandis, buyers, and Farmers Market listings
• Estimating transport pricing

You may turn location permissions off in your device settings, but some features may not work properly.

11. Push Notifications

We send push notifications for order updates, new messages, price alerts, buyer posts, and platform announcements. You can turn individual notification types on or off from in-app settings.

12. International Data Transfers

Your data is primarily stored on servers located in India. If we transfer data to servers in other jurisdictions, we will ensure adequate safeguards are in place.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated through in-app notifications or email. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy reflects the latest revision.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data:

Email: privacy@harvex.in Support: support@harvex.in Grievance Officer: As required under the DPDP Act and IT Rules, you may contact our designated Grievance Officer at grievance@harvex.in

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Last updated: May 2026