In short: we collect only what we need to run your course and answer your questions: your name, email, phone number and course details. Payments are handled by our payment gateway, not by us. We do not sell your data. This website sets no cookies and runs no analytics or advertising trackers. You can ask us to see, correct or delete your data at any time.
1. Who we are
This website and our live online English speaking and communication courses are run by Skills and Co. ("Skills and Co.", "we", "us" or "our"). For the personal data described in this policy, we are the Data Fiduciary under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act").
We handle personal data in line with the DPDP Act and the rules made under it, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011.
2. What this policy covers
This policy covers personal data we collect through this website, through skillsandco.in, when you enrol in or attend a course, and when you contact us by email, phone or messaging apps.
3. What we collect
Details you give us
- Contact details: your name, email address and phone number, when you enrol, book a call or message us, including on WhatsApp.
- Enrolment details: the plan and batch you choose, and anything you tell us about your goals or level of English.
- Messages: what you write to us and our replies.
Details from your course
- Attendance, assignments, the feedback we give you, and whether you complete the course and qualify for a certificate.
- In live classes, your name, voice and video (if your camera is on) are visible to the trainer and the other students in that class.
Payment details
Payments are processed by a third-party payment gateway. The gateway collects your card, UPI, net banking or wallet details directly. We do not receive or store your full card number, CVV, UPI PIN or banking passwords. We receive only what we need to confirm and account for your payment, such as your name, the amount, the date, the payment method type and a transaction reference.
Technical details
When you visit this website, our hosting provider automatically records standard server logs, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you request and the time of the request. These are used to deliver the website, keep it secure and fix problems.
We do not ask for sensitive information such as health details, financial account passwords or government ID numbers, and we ask you not to share them with us.
4. Why we use your data
We use your personal data only for the purposes below, based on the consent you give us or on the uses the DPDP Act allows, such as when you give us your data voluntarily for a specific purpose:
- to enrol you, confirm your seat and send you class links, schedules and changes;
- to run live classes, review your assignments and track your progress;
- to decide whether you qualify for a certificate and to issue it;
- to take payment, return duplicate or failed payments, issue invoices and keep the tax and accounting records the law requires;
- to answer your questions and help you choose a batch;
- if you agree, to message you about new batches, course updates and offers (you can opt out at any time);
- with your separate consent, to use your name, photo, video or testimonial in our marketing;
- to keep our website and classes secure, prevent misuse, and meet our legal obligations.
We will not use your data for a new purpose without telling you and, where the law requires, asking for your consent.
5. Your consent
Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time by writing to us via skillsandco.in, or by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it. It does not affect anything we did before you withdrew it, but it may mean we can no longer provide parts of the course that depend on that data.
6. Cookies and similar technologies
This website does not set cookies and does not use analytics, advertising or tracking tools. Its pages, images and fonts all load from this website through our website host (see section 7), so viewing it does not contact any other company's servers, such as Google's or a social network's.
If we add cookies, analytics or similar tools in future, we will update this policy first and ask for your consent where the law requires it.
7. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with:
- Service providers who help us run our business and process data only on our instructions: our website host (Vercel), our payment gateway, the video meeting and messaging platforms we use for enquiries and classes (such as WhatsApp, when you message us there), and our email provider.
- Your classmates and trainer, who see your name, voice and video during live classes and in the student community.
- Government and law enforcement authorities, when Indian law requires us to, or to protect our rights or someone's safety.
- A successor business, if Skills and Co. is reorganised, merged or sold, subject to this policy.
8. Data stored outside India
Some of our service providers, such as our website host, may store or process data on servers outside India. We transfer personal data outside India only as the DPDP Act permits, and never to a country the Government of India has restricted.
9. How long we keep your data
We keep personal data only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, and then delete it, unless a law requires us to keep it longer.
- Student records (contact details, attendance, assignments and certificate details) for 3 years after your course ends, so we can verify certificates and answer questions.
- Enquiries from people who do not enrol for 1 year after our last contact.
- Contact details you gave us for course news until you opt out or ask us to delete them.
- Invoices and payment records for as long as Indian tax and accounting laws require, generally 8 years.
10. How we protect your data
We use reasonable security practices, as the IT Act requires, to protect personal data against loss, misuse and unauthorised access. These include limiting access to the people who need it and using reputable service providers. No method of storage or transmission over the internet is completely secure.
If a personal data breach affects you, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as the DPDP Act requires.
11. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act, you have the right to:
- access a summary of the personal data we hold about you, how we use it and who we have shared it with;
- correct, complete or update your personal data;
- erase your personal data, unless we must keep it to meet a legal requirement;
- withdraw your consent at any time;
- nominate another person to exercise your rights if you die or are unable to do so;
- have your grievance resolved by us, and if you are not satisfied, complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
To use any of these rights, write to us via skillsandco.in. We may need to confirm your identity first. We will reply within 30 days.
When you use your rights, please give us accurate information and do not make false or frivolous complaints, as the DPDP Act also sets out duties for you.
12. Children
Our courses are meant for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18 without the verifiable consent of their parent or lawful guardian. We do not track, monitor the behaviour of, or target advertising at children. If you believe a child has given us personal data without that consent, please contact us and we will delete it.
13. Grievance Officer
If you have a concern or complaint about how we handle your personal data, contact our Grievance Officer by writing to us via skillsandco.in with "Privacy" in the subject. We will acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours and aim to resolve it within one month.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version on this page with a new "Last updated" date, and tell you directly about any important change that affects how we use your data.
15. Contact us
For any question about this policy or your personal data, write to us via skillsandco.in.