Homingo Hackathon
Privacy notice
This notice explains what personal data the Homingo Hackathon collects, why we collect it and the choices you have. We handle your data in line with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (the DPDP Act).
Last updated 14 October 2026
Who we are
The Homingo Hackathon is organised as part of the Homingo family, alongside Homingo and Homingo Stores, and is powered by SurgeLabs. The organisers decide how and why your personal data is used, which makes us the Data Fiduciary under the DPDP Act. In this notice, “we” and “us” mean the organisers.
What this notice covers
It covers this website, registration, the mentor programme, the waitlist, certificates and the emails we send about the series. It doesn’t cover other Homingo family products, such as the Homingo and Homingo Stores apps.
If you register to take part
We collect your name, email address, phone number and city; your college, degree and year of study, if you add them; whether you’re going solo, creating a team or joining one, with the team name or code; your track, skills and experience level; any GitHub, LinkedIn or portfolio links you add; and your consents to the rules, the code of conduct and this notice.
When you submit a project
Your submission includes your repository link, demo video and deck. These can contain your name, voice or image, so only include what you’re happy to share.
If you apply to mentor
We collect your name, email address, phone number and city; your role, company and years of experience; your LinkedIn profile, plus any GitHub or portfolio links you add; the tracks and skills you know; any past mentoring experience you share; your availability and preferred ways to mentor; your motivation; and your consents to the mentor code of conduct and this notice.
If you join the waitlist
We collect your email address and, if you add them, your name and the topics you’re interested in.
Collected automatically
When you submit a form, we record the IP address and browser (user agent) it was sent from. We use these only for security and to prevent abuse, such as spam or fake registrations.
Why we use your data
To confirm your registration and send you a confirmation email; to form teams and run each phase; to review mentor applications and match mentors with tracks and teams; to contact you about schedules, changes and results; to judge submissions and award prizes; to issue certificates and keep them verifiable; to email you when registration opens if you joined the waitlist; and to keep this website and our systems secure. We use your data only for these purposes.
If you win a prize
We’ll ask winners for the details we need to verify their identity and transfer their prize. We use these only for that and to meet our tax and legal obligations.
Your consent
We process your personal data on the basis of your consent. You give it by ticking the consent box on the registration or mentor application form, or by choosing to join the waitlist. We may also process data without separate consent where the DPDP Act allows it, for example to comply with the law.
Withdrawing consent
You can withdraw your consent at any time by writing to official@homingo.co.in. We’ll then stop using your data and delete it, unless the law requires us to keep it. Withdrawing doesn’t affect anything we did before, but it may mean you can no longer take part or mentor, and that we can’t keep your certificate verifiable.
Drafts saved in your browser
The registration and mentor application forms save an unsent draft in your own browser, using localStorage, so you don’t lose your progress. The draft stays on your device and isn’t sent to us until you submit. It’s removed when you submit, and you can remove it at any time with “Clear draft and start over” or by clearing your browser’s data for this website.
Cookies and analytics
This website sets no tracking or advertising cookies and uses no analytics. We don’t follow you across other websites or build advertising profiles about you.
Who sees your data
The organising team, plus judges and mentors only as far as they need it to run the event. For example, judges see your team and project, and mentors see the teams they guide.
Service providers
We use service providers to host this website and our API and to deliver our emails. They process your data on our behalf, and we only allow them to use it to provide those services to us.
Never sold
We never sell your personal data, and we don’t share it with advertisers.
When the law requires it
We may disclose personal data where the law requires it, for example in response to a lawful request from a court or government authority, or where it’s needed to protect someone’s safety.
What is public
This website doesn’t publish mentor profiles or a list of mentors, and mentor applications are never public. If your team is shortlisted or wins, we may show your name, team name and project on this website and our channels, as the terms explain. Finalists present live in an online stream that anyone can watch.
Certificates and public verification
Every certificate has a unique ID and a public verification page. Anyone with the ID or QR code can see the recipient’s name, the certificate type and achievement, the edition and the issue date. This lets employers and others confirm that a certificate is genuine. The page shows nothing else about you.
Other platforms
Some activities, such as community chat, video calls and live streams, happen on third-party platforms. What you share there is handled under those platforms’ own terms and privacy policies, so please read them too.
How long we keep it
We keep personal data only as long as we need it to run the series, keep certificates verifiable and meet our legal obligations, such as tax rules for prizes. After that, we delete it or anonymise it so that it no longer identifies you.
Keeping it safe
We use reasonable security safeguards to protect your data, and only people who need it to run the series can access it. If a personal data breach affects you, we’ll tell you and the Data Protection Board of India, as the law requires.
Your rights
Under the DPDP Act, you can ask us for a summary of the personal data we hold about you, how we use it and who we have shared it with. You can ask us to correct, complete or update it, and to erase it unless the law requires us to keep it. You can also withdraw your consent at any time.
Nominating someone
You can nominate another person to exercise your rights for you if you die or become unable to do so yourself. To nominate someone, write to us with their name and contact details.
Using your rights
Write to official@homingo.co.in from the email address you used with us, so we can confirm it’s you. We may ask for a little more information to verify your identity before we act. Please give accurate information, and only make requests for someone else if you have their authority.
Grievances
If you have a concern about how we handle your data, write to us at official@homingo.co.in and say it’s a grievance. We’ll acknowledge it and respond promptly. If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
Children
If you’re under 18, we need verifiable consent from your parent or legal guardian before we process your data. Please make sure they have read this notice and agree before you register. We may contact you or them to verify that consent. If we find we hold a child’s data without it, we’ll stop using that data and delete it. We never track, behaviourally monitor or target advertising at children.
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice when our practices or the law change. We’ll post the new version here with a new “last updated” date and email you about important changes. If a change needs your fresh consent, we’ll ask for it.
Contact
For any question about this notice or your data, write to us at official@homingo.co.in.