Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

CareerNestIQ is an education counseling and enrollment brand operated by DashMindsIQ Private Limited, a company incorporated in India in 2025. Through CareerNestIQ, we help students and parents evaluate courses and institutions and, where appropriate, support the admission process — currently, MBBS admission to Zarmed University, Uzbekistan, through our partners GVantage LLC and Apollo MedSkills.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, DashMindsIQ Private Limited is the data controller in respect of personal data collected via the CareerNestIQ website and in connection with our services.

DashMindsIQ Private Limited

Registered address: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Data protection contact: privacy@careernestiq.com

General enquiries: hello@careernestiq.com

Website: www.careernestiq.com

2. Scope of This Policy

2.1  This Privacy Policy applies to personal data collected and processed by CareerNestIQ in connection with: (a) use of the CareerNestIQ website at www.careernestiq.com and all sub-pages; (b) project enquiries and sales correspondence; (c) job applications and recruitment; (d) client engagements and the delivery of professional services; and (e) email, phone, video call, and other communications between you and CareerNestIQ.

2.2  This policy does not apply to the data practices of third-party websites linked from our Website. Where we provide links to external sites, those sites are governed by their own privacy policies.

2.3  Where CareerNestIQ processes personal data on behalf of a client as a data processor — for example, when building or operating a client's software platform — that processing is governed by a separate Data Processing Agreement between CareerNestIQ and the client, not by this policy. See Section 15 for more detail.

2.4  Applicable law: this policy is written primarily to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India). Where we process personal data of individuals in the United Kingdom or European Union, we also comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) respectively, to the extent those regulations apply.

3. What Personal Data We Collect

3.1  Data you provide to us directly

• Contact and enquiry data: name, business email address, phone number, company name, job title, and the content of your project enquiry or message submitted via our contact form or email.
• Job application data: CV / résumé, cover letter, work samples, employment history, educational qualifications, references, and any other information you submit as part of a job application.
• Client relationship data: billing contact details, contract correspondence, meeting notes, and project communications exchanged during a client engagement.
• Feedback and survey data: responses to satisfaction surveys, testimonials, or other feedback you choose to provide.

3.2  Data collected automatically

• Website usage data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and the URL from which you arrived at our Website.
• Log data: server logs recording your interactions with the Website, including timestamps and request data.
• Cookie data: data collected via cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in Section 8 and in our Cookie Policy.

3.3  Data received from third parties

• Referral data: name and contact details provided to us by an existing client, partner, or contact who refers you to CareerNestIQ.
• Professional network data: information available on professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, where you have made this publicly available or where you engage with us directly on those platforms.
• Recruitment platform data: information provided through third-party recruitment platforms (such as LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Naukri, or similar) in connection with a job application.

3.4  Sensitive data

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data (such as health data, biometric data, religious beliefs, political opinions, or financial account details) through the Website or in the ordinary course of our business. If an engagement requires handling sensitive data, this is addressed in the applicable Data Processing Agreement. If you inadvertently include sensitive data in a contact form or email, we will handle it with the heightened care required by applicable law and will seek to delete it if it is not necessary for our purposes.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

4.1  Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India), CareerNestIQ processes personal data on the basis of: (a) your consent, where you have provided it; (b) a legitimate purpose necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps prior to entering a contract; or (c) compliance with a legal obligation.

4.2  For individuals in the United Kingdom or European Union, we also rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR / EU GDPR:

4.3  Where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, we have assessed that our interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms. You may request further information about this balancing test by contacting privacy@careernestiq.com.

5. How We Use Your Data

5.1  Responding to enquiries and proposals

We use your contact and enquiry data to respond to your message, provide information about our services, prepare proposals and statements of work, and — where an engagement follows — to enter into and manage the commercial relationship. We do not use enquiry data for any purpose other than responding to your enquiry and related business development activity.

5.2  Delivering client services

We use client relationship data and, where necessary, client system data to deliver the contracted services, manage the engagement, communicate with you about the project, issue invoices, and maintain the business relationship.

5.3  Recruitment and job applications

We use job application data to evaluate your suitability for the role you have applied for, to conduct interviews and assessments, to carry out reference checks where you have authorised these, and to make a hiring decision. Where you are not selected for a current role but we believe you may be suitable for future positions, we may retain your application data for up to twelve (12) months with your consent and notify you of relevant opportunities.

5.4  Marketing communications

We may send you information about our services, insights, events, and company news where you have: (a) expressly consented to receive such communications; or (b) engaged with us as a client or serious prospect, where we have a legitimate interest in keeping you informed of relevant developments. Every marketing communication includes a clear and easy mechanism to unsubscribe. On unsubscribing, we will process no further marketing communications to you within five (5) business days.

5.5  Website improvement and analytics

We use website usage data and cookie data to understand how visitors interact with the Website, identify popular content, diagnose technical issues, and make improvements to the site's structure, content, and performance. Analytics data is processed in aggregate where possible. See Section 8 for details on the specific tools we use.

5.6  Legal and compliance obligations

We use personal data where necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to lawful requests from government authorities or courts, to enforce our contractual rights, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of CareerNestIQ, our clients, employees, or third parties.

5.7  What we do not do

• We do not sell your personal data to any third party.
• We do not use your data for automated individual decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects, without a lawful basis and appropriate human review.
• We do not use AI systems to make automated hiring decisions. AI tools may assist in screening, but all consequential recruitment decisions involve human review.
• We do not use enquiry data, client data, or application data to train AI models.

6. How We Share Your Data

6.1  We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We share personal data only in the limited circumstances described below.

6.2  Service providers and sub-processors

We use third-party service providers to operate our business. These providers may process personal data on our behalf as data processors. They are bound by contractual data protection obligations at least as protective as those in this policy. Current categories of providers include:

• Cloud hosting and storage: AWS, GCP, or Azure — our website and business data are hosted on one or more of these platforms
• Email delivery: for sending transactional and marketing communications
• Video conferencing: for client and candidate calls (e.g. Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom)
• CRM and project management: for managing client relationships and project workflows
• Analytics: for understanding website usage (see Section 8)
• Recruitment platforms: for managing job applications (e.g. LinkedIn Recruiter, Naukri)
• Accounting and invoicing: for financial record-keeping and invoice processing

6.3  Professional advisors

We may share personal data with our lawyers, auditors, accountants, and insurers where necessary for the provision of professional services to CareerNestIQ. These parties are bound by professional confidentiality obligations.

6.4  Business transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of all or part of CareerNestIQ's business, personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity as part of that transaction. We will notify affected individuals if such a transfer occurs and the new entity will be required to honour this Privacy Policy or notify you of any changes.

6.5  Legal disclosure

We may disclose personal data where required to do so by applicable law, court order, regulatory requirement, or lawful request from a competent government authority. Where legally permitted, we will attempt to notify you before making such a disclosure so you can seek appropriate legal protection.

6.6  With your consent

We may share personal data with third parties in other circumstances where you have given your explicit consent to such sharing. Consent is specific, informed, and revocable at any time.

7. International Data Transfers

7.1  CareerNestIQ is incorporated in India and our operations are primarily based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Personal data that you provide to us is stored and processed in India.

7.2  We may use service providers whose servers are located outside India (for example, cloud infrastructure providers whose data centres are in Singapore, the US, or Europe). Where we transfer personal data outside India, we take appropriate steps to ensure an adequate level of protection for that data, including through contractual protections with the relevant service provider.

7.3  Transfers to the United Kingdom and European Economic Area: India does not currently hold a UK or EU adequacy decision. Where personal data of UK or EEA residents is transferred outside those territories — including to India — we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or the European Commission respectively, or other appropriate safeguards, as required. If you would like a copy of the safeguards in place for a specific transfer, please contact privacy@careernestiq.com.

7.4  We do not transfer personal data to countries or territories that we have determined do not provide adequate protection, unless an appropriate safeguard mechanism is in place as described above.

8. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

8.1  Our website uses cookies and similar technologies including web beacons, tracking pixels, and local storage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use the Website and improve your experience.

8.2  Types of cookies we use

8.3  Managing your cookie preferences

On your first visit to the Website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept, reject, or customise non-essential cookies. You can update your preferences at any time via the Cookie Settings link in our website footer. You may also control cookies through your browser settings, although this may affect the functionality of the Website. For full details of the specific cookies we set, their duration, and the data they collect, please see our Cookie Policy at www.careernestiq.com/cookie-policy.

8.4  Analytics tool notice

We currently use Google Analytics to collect aggregated, anonymised data about Website usage. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as how often users visit the site, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to coming to our site. We use this information to improve the Website. Google Analytics data is stored on Google's servers. Google's privacy practices are described at https://policies.google.com/privacy. You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

9. Data Security

9.1  CareerNestIQ implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• Encryption of personal data in transit: using TLS 1.2 or higher for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Encryption of data at rest: personal data stored on our systems is encrypted using industry-standard encryption
• Access controls: access to personal data is restricted on a need-to-know basis, with role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication required for systems holding personal data
• Security assessments: periodic vulnerability assessments and security reviews of our systems and service providers
• Employee training: all CareerNestIQ employees and contractors with access to personal data receive training on data protection obligations and security practices
• Incident response: we maintain an incident response plan for data security breaches, including notification procedures as required by applicable law

9.2  Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of personal data transmitted to or stored by us. If you suspect a security incident involving your personal data, please contact us immediately at privacy@careernestiq.com.

9.3  Data breach notification

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we will notify the relevant data protection authority and affected individuals as required by applicable law. Under the DPDP Act (India), we will notify the Data Protection Board of India. Under UK GDPR, we will notify the Information Commissioner's Office within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, where feasible. Under EU GDPR, we will notify the relevant lead supervisory authority.

10. Data Retention

10.1  We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. The following retention periods apply as a general guide:

10.2  When the applicable retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise the relevant personal data. Where we anonymise data (so that it can no longer be associated with you), we may retain and use that anonymised data without restriction.

10.3  We may retain data for longer periods where: (a) we are required to do so by applicable law or regulatory obligation; (b) the data is subject to an ongoing legal dispute or legal hold; or (c) you have given specific consent to a longer retention period.

11. Your Rights

11.1  Rights under the DPDP Act 2023 (India)

If you are an individual whose personal data is processed by CareerNestIQ, the DPDP Act 2023 provides you with the following rights:

• Right to information: to know what personal data we hold about you and how it is being processed
• Right to correction and erasure: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data, and erasure of data that is no longer necessary
• Right to grievance redressal: to contact our data protection contact (privacy@careernestiq.com) and receive a response to complaints within the timeframe prescribed by applicable rules
• Right to nominate: to nominate another individual to exercise your rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity

11.2  Additional rights under UK GDPR and EU GDPR

If you are located in the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, you have the following additional rights:

11.3  How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of the rights above, please contact us at privacy@careernestiq.com with: (a) your full name and contact details; (b) a clear description of the right you wish to exercise; and (c) sufficient information to allow us to identify you and locate your data. We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

We will respond to all valid rights requests within thirty (30) calendar days. For complex or multiple requests, we may extend this period by a further thirty (30) days, and we will notify you if this is necessary. We do not charge a fee for rights requests unless they are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

11.4  Right to complain to a supervisory authority

If you are not satisfied with our response to a rights request or a complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority:

• India: Data Protection Board of India (once constituted under the DPDP Act 2023) — www.meity.gov.in
• United Kingdom: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — www.ico.org.uk
• European Union: Your national supervisory authority (a list is available at www.edpb.europa.eu)

We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact a supervisory authority, so please reach out to privacy@careernestiq.com in the first instance.

12. Children's Privacy

12.1  The CareerNestIQ website and services are directed at adults and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18. If you are under 18, please do not submit personal data to us via the Website or in connection with a job application.

12.2  If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from an individual under 18, we will promptly delete that data and notify the relevant guardian or parent where required by applicable law.

12.3  If you believe we may hold personal data relating to a minor, please contact us immediately at privacy@careernestiq.com.

13. AI & Automated Processing

13.1  CareerNestIQ builds and deploys AI systems for its clients. This section explains how AI technologies interact with personal data in the context of our own operations and website.

13.2  AI tools in our operations

We may use AI-powered tools to assist with business operations including drafting, translation, summarisation, and internal analysis. Where such tools process personal data (for example, emails containing contact information), we ensure that: (a) the tool provider has appropriate data processing agreements and security standards in place; (b) personal data is not used to train the AI provider's models without explicit consent; and (c) the processing has a lawful basis under applicable data protection law.

13.3  AI in recruitment

We may use AI-assisted tools to help manage job applications — for example, to screen CVs for relevant experience or to schedule interviews. We confirm that: (a) no hiring decision is made solely on the basis of automated processing; (b) all final decisions involve a human reviewer; and (c) you have the right to request human review of any AI-assisted assessment and to contest any recommendation made by an automated system.

13.4  AI in client service delivery

Where CareerNestIQ builds AI systems that process personal data on behalf of a client, this is governed by a Data Processing Agreement between CareerNestIQ and the client. CareerNestIQ acts as a data processor in those circumstances, and the client remains the data controller responsible for the lawfulness of the processing.

13.5  No profiling

CareerNestIQ does not use personal data collected via the Website to build individual profiles for automated decision-making or to determine access to services, creditworthiness, or other significant matters.

14. Candidate & Employee Data

14.1  CareerNestIQ processes personal data about job applicants and employees in connection with its HR and recruitment activities. This section provides additional information about those specific processing activities.

14.2  Job applicants

When you apply for a position at CareerNestIQ, we collect and process the data described in Section 3 for the purpose of evaluating your application. The lawful basis is pre-contractual steps (where you are being considered for employment with us). We may verify information you provide with previous employers or professional references you have provided, where you have authorised this.

We share applicant data only with members of the CareerNestIQ team involved in the recruitment process, and with third-party recruitment platforms as necessary to manage the application workflow. We do not share applicant data with other employers.

If your application is unsuccessful, we will retain your data for up to six (6) months from the date of our decision, after which it will be deleted. If you consent to being considered for future roles, we will retain your data for up to twelve (12) months. You may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing careers@careernestiq.com.

14.3  Employees and contractors

Personal data relating to CareerNestIQ employees and contractors is processed in accordance with a separate internal HR privacy notice provided to employees and contractors at the time of onboarding. This public Privacy Policy does not govern the processing of employee personal data beyond the recruitment stage described above.

15. Client Engagement Data

15.1  In the course of providing professional services to clients, CareerNestIQ may receive access to — or be required to process — personal data held by the client. Examples include: personal data in a client's database that CareerNestIQ engineers work with to build or migrate a system; user data in a client's analytics platform; or employee data in an HRMS system CareerNestIQ is implementing.

15.2  In these circumstances, CareerNestIQ acts as a data processor on behalf of the client (who is the data controller). The processing is governed by a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) executed between CareerNestIQ and the client, which specifies: the subject matter and duration of the processing; the nature and purpose of the processing; the types of personal data and categories of data subjects; and the obligations and rights of both parties.

15.3  CareerNestIQ processes client engagement data only on the documented instructions of the client and does not use such data for any purpose beyond fulfilling the contracted services. We do not use client engagement data to train AI models.

15.4  If you are an individual whose personal data appears in a client's systems or data and you wish to exercise your data subject rights, you should contact the relevant client (as the data controller) in the first instance. If you are uncertain how to do this, we will endeavour to direct you appropriately on receipt of a request sent to privacy@careernestiq.com.

16. Changes to This Policy

16.1  We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices, the services we offer, applicable legal requirements, or our business. The "Last updated" date and version number at the top of this document indicate when the policy was last revised.

16.2  Where changes are material — meaning they significantly affect your rights or how we use your data — we will: (a) post a prominent notice on the Website; and/or (b) send an email notification to individuals on our marketing list or active clients. We will provide at least fourteen (14) days' notice before material changes take effect.

16.3  For minor changes (such as typographical corrections, updated contact details, or clarifications that do not affect the substance of the policy), the updated policy will be posted on the Website with a revised date, and will take effect immediately.

16.4  We encourage you to review this policy periodically, particularly before submitting personal data to us for the first time. Your continued use of the Website or our services after any changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

DashMindsIQ Private Limited — Data Protection Contact

Data protection: privacy@careernestiq.com (preferred for all privacy-related matters)

General enquiries: hello@careernestiq.com

Registered office: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Website: www.careernestiq.com/privacy-policy

We aim to acknowledge receipt of all privacy-related correspondence within two (2) business days and to respond substantively within thirty (30) calendar days. For subject access requests and other formal rights requests, please include your full name, contact email, and a description of the right you wish to exercise. We may ask you to verify your identity.