Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how HobbyMela (“HobbyMela”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, shares and protects personal data when you access or use the HobbyMela website, application, community, Artist Discovery features, workshops, experiences, marketplace and related services (collectively, the “Platform”).

By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. Where consent is required under applicable law, HobbyMela will obtain your consent in the manner prescribed by law.

1. ABOUT HOBBYMELA

HobbyMela is a creative platform that brings together artists, makers, hobby enthusiasts, learners and consumers.

Our Platform enables users to:

• discover Artists and their work;
• view Artist profiles, stories and portfolios;
• discover and participate in workshops and creative experiences;
• interact with the Hobbymela community;
• discover handmade and creative products through our Artist Discovery Marketplace; and
• connect with Artists for product enquiries and purchases

Artist Discovery Marketplace

HobbyMela currently acts as a discovery and connection platform for products listed by Artists. HobbyMela does not currently process or complete product purchase transactions on the Platform. Product purchase, payment, fulfilment, delivery, quality, returns and other transaction-related matters may be directly between the User and the Artist, as applicable.

Where information is shared with an Artist to facilitate a User’s enquiry or connection, such sharing will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

2. WHO DOES THIS POLICY APPLY TO?

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• visitors to the Platform;
• registered Users;
• Artists and creators;
• workshop and experience participants;
• community participants;
• persons contacting HobbyMela;
• persons submitting forms, enquiries or applications; and
• other individuals whose personal data is processed by HobbyMela in connection with the Platform.

3. PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT

Depending on how you use HobbyMela, we may collect the following categories of personal data.

A. Information you provide directly

This may include:

• name;
• email address;
• mobile/telephone number;
• city or general location;
• profile photograph;
• Artist biography and professional information;
• craft/art medium and areas of expertise;
• workshop preferences and participation information;
• information submitted through forms;
• enquiries and communications with Hobbymela;
• reviews, comments and other community contributions;
• information provided when contacting an Artist through the Platform; and
• other information you voluntarily provide.

B. Artist information

Artists may additionally provide:

• Artist name or professional name;
• studio/business information;
• portfolio;
• social media or website links;
• craft categories;
• photographs and videos;
• workshop information;
• product information;
• pricing or other commercial information voluntarily submitted for display;
• professional biography and experience; and
• information required for Artist onboarding and collaboration.

C. Information collected automatically

When you use the Platform, we may collect technical information such as:

• IP address;
• browser and device information;
• operating system;
• approximate location derived from technical information;
• pages or features accessed;
• date and time of access;
• referring pages;
• usage and interaction information; and
• information collected through cookies and similar technologies.

We use such information primarily to operate, secure, analyze and improve the Platform.

4. WHY WE USE PERSONAL DATA

Hobbymela may process personal data for purposes including:

Providing the Platform

• creating and managing user & artist accounts;
• connecting Users and Artists;
• displaying Artist profiles;
• enabling Artist discovery; their work.
• facilitating & administering workshop and experience participation;
• enabling community functionality;
• responding to enquiries; facilitate communication between artists & users;
• operating the Artist Discovery Marketplace;
• providing customer support; and
• maintaining Platform functionality.

Improving HobbyMela

We may use information to:

• understand Platform usage;
• improve features and user experience;
• develop new services;
• analyze trends;
• personalize relevant Platform experiences; and
• identify technical problems.

Safety and security

We may process information to:

• protect Users and Artists;
• detect fraud, abuse or misuse;
• prevent unauthorized access;
• investigate violations of our policies;
• maintain Platform security; and
• comply with applicable law.

Communications

We may use your contact information to send:

• account-related communications;
• workshop or experience updates;
• service announcements;
• responses to enquiries;
• important Platform notices; and
• promotional or marketing communications where permitted and, where required, based on your consent.

You may opt out of promotional communications at any time through the available mechanism.

Legal and regulatory purposes

We may process personal data where reasonably necessary to:

• comply with applicable laws;
• respond to lawful requests;
• establish, exercise or defend legal rights;
• investigate complaints; or
• comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

5. OUR LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

Hobbymela processes personal data in accordance with applicable Indian data protection law.

Where consent is required, we will seek consent through an appropriate notice and affirmative action.

Where permitted by applicable law, personal data may also be processed for legitimate or permitted purposes recognized under applicable law, including providing a service requested by you, complying with legal obligations, responding to emergencies, maintaining security and preventing fraud or misuse.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent through the mechanism provided by HobbyMela.

Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing that was lawfully carried out before withdrawal.

6. CONSENT

Where HobbyMela relies on consent, consent will be requested in a manner that is clear and understandable.

You should not be required to provide consent for unrelated purposes as a condition of using a service where such consent is not necessary for that service.

Where applicable, you may withdraw consent as easily as you provided it.

Withdrawal may affect HobbyMela’s ability to provide certain features or services where the relevant processing is necessary for those services.

7. SHARING OF PERSONAL DATA

HobbyMela may share personal data where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy.

Artists

Where necessary to facilitate an interaction between a User and an Artist, HobbyMela may share relevant information with the Artist.

For example, where a User expresses interest in purchasing an Artist’s product or participating in an Artist’s workshop, relevant information may be shared to enable the Artist to respond or provide the service.

HobbyMela will seek to limit such sharing to information reasonably required for the relevant purpose.

Service providers

We may use third-party service providers for services such as:

• hosting and cloud infrastructure;
• analytics;
• communication;
• email/SMS/notification delivery;
• customer support;
• security;
• authentication;
• technology and software services; and
• other services necessary to operate HobbyMela.

Such providers may process personal data on HobbyMela’s behalf and subject to appropriate contractual or legal safeguards.

Legal requirements

We may disclose information where required or permitted by applicable law, legal process, court order, governmental request or regulatory requirement.

Business transactions

If HobbyMela is involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, sale of assets or similar transaction, relevant information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.

8. WHAT WE DO NOT DO

HobbyMela does not sell your personal data as a standalone commercial product.

HobbyMela also does not currently process product purchase payments for products listed by Artists through the Artist Discovery Marketplace.

Where a User and Artist independently complete a product transaction outside the Platform, HobbyMela is not responsible for the Artist’s independent handling of personal data in connection with that transaction.

9. ARTIST-PROVIDED INFORMATION

Artists are responsible for ensuring that information they submit to HobbyMela is accurate and that they have the necessary rights and permissions to provide information, photographs, videos and other personal data relating to other individuals.

Artists should not upload or publish another person’s personal information without an appropriate lawful basis or permission where required.

HobbyMela may remove information that violates applicable law or HobbyMela’s policies.

10. COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC PROFILES

Some information submitted to HobbyMela may be displayed publicly.

For example, an Artist Profile may contain:

• Artist name;
• profile photograph;
• biography;
• craft medium;
• portfolio images;
• workshop information;
• publicly provided social links; and
• other information intentionally submitted for public display.

Users and Artists should therefore avoid publishing sensitive personal information or information they do not want to make publicly accessible.

Information posted publicly may be accessible to other Platform users and potentially to persons outside the Platform.

11.ARTIST–USER ENQUIRIES AND COMMUNICATIONS

HobbyMela enables Users to contact Artists through enquiry forms and other communication features available on the Platform.

When you submit an enquiry or communicate with an Artist through HobbyMela, we may collect and process information contained in the enquiry or communication, including your name, contact details, enquiry details, messages, responses, attachments and other information you choose to provide.

HobbyMela may access, process and retain such enquiries and communications for the following purposes:

• facilitating communication between Users and Artists;
• monitoring whether enquiries are being responded to;
• following up on unanswered enquiries;
• contacting or assisting a User where an Artist has not responded or where assistance is required;
• providing information or support relating to an enquiry;
• investigating and resolving complaints, disputes or concerns;
• maintaining Platform quality, security and safety;
• detecting and preventing fraud, misuse or abuse;
• enforcing HobbyMela's policies; and
• complying with applicable law.

Access to such communications will be limited to authorized Hobbymela personnel and relevant service providers where reasonably necessary for these purposes.

HobbyMela will not use the contents of User–Artist communications for unrelated purposes or sell such communications to third parties.

12. USER-GENERATED CONTENT

If you voluntarily submit photographs, videos, comments, reviews, artwork, Artist stories or other content, Hobbymela may process and display that content in accordance with our Community & Content Policy and Content & Intellectual Property provisions.

You should ensure that your submissions do not contain another person’s personal data unless you are permitted to share it.

13. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

Hobbymela may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• operate the Platform;
• remember preferences;
• understand usage;
• improve functionality;
• maintain security; and
• measure performance.

Where applicable, non-essential cookies or similar technologies will be used in accordance with the applicable consent requirements.

14. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

HobbyMela may send promotional communications where permitted by applicable law.

Where consent is required, we will seek it separately from acceptance of the Terms of Use.

You may unsubscribe or withdraw marketing consent using the mechanism provided in the relevant communication or through the contact mechanism provided by Hobbymela.

Service-related communications may continue where reasonably necessary to provide the Platform or services requested by you.

15. DATA RETENTION

HobbyMela will retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for:

• the purpose for which it was collected;
• providing the relevant service;
• maintaining business and transaction records;
• resolving disputes;
• enforcing agreements;
• maintaining security; or
• complying with applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, HobbyMela will take reasonable steps to delete or anonymize it, subject to applicable law and legitimate retention requirements.

Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

16. DATA SECURITY

HobbyMela takes reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

Security measures may include appropriate access controls, authentication, monitoring, encryption or other safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information and risks involved.

However, no digital platform can guarantee absolute security.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and should notify HobbyMela promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

17. PERSONAL DATA BREACHES

If HobbyMela becomes aware of a personal data breach, we will take appropriate steps to investigate, contain and mitigate the breach and provide notifications to affected individuals and/or authorities where required by applicable law.

18. YOUR RIGHTS

Subject to applicable law and the conditions prescribed by law, you may have rights relating to your personal data, including the ability to:

• request information about processing of your personal data;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
• request deletion of personal data where applicable;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• raise a grievance regarding processing of personal data; and
• exercise other rights available under applicable law.

Requests may be made through the contact details provided below.

HobbyMela may need to verify your identity before processing a request in order to protect personal data and prevent unauthorized requests.

19. GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL

If you have a concern regarding the processing of your personal data or this Privacy Policy, you may contact HobbyMela using the details below.

Email: hello@hobbymela.com

Phone: +91 89286 13244

HobbyMela will endeavor to address grievances within the timelines prescribed by applicable law.

Nothing in this section prevents you from exercising any statutory right or approaching an authority where permitted by law.

20. CHILDREN

HobbyMela does not knowingly seek to collect personal data from children except where permitted and handled in accordance with applicable law.

Where the Platform offers services that may involve children, HobbyMela may implement appropriate age and parental/guardian consent mechanisms as required by law.

Users and Artists must not knowingly provide Hobbymela with children’s personal data except through an authorized process.

21. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES

The Platform may contain links, buttons, embedded content, or references to Artist websites or profiles, social media platforms, payment providers, booking platforms, delivery or logistics providers, and other third-party websites, applications, products or services (“Third-Party Services”).

These Third-Party Services are operated independently of HobbyMela and may have their own terms, privacy policies and data practices. HobbyMela does not own or control such Third-Party Services and is not responsible for their availability, content, accuracy, security, privacy practices, terms, or handling of your personal data.

Where the Platform facilitates communication with an Artist or directs you to a Third-Party Service, any subsequent interaction, transaction, purchase, booking, payment, delivery, cancellation, refund or other engagement may be subject to the terms and policies of the relevant Artist or third party.

HobbyMela does not automatically receive or control personal information that you provide directly to a Third-Party Service, unless such information is shared with HobbyMela as part of the relevant service or as otherwise described in our Privacy Policy.

The inclusion of a third-party link or service, or the facilitation of an introduction to an Artist or third party, does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, verification or guarantee by HobbyMela of that third party, its products, services, content, security or practices, unless HobbyMela expressly states otherwise.

You should review the applicable privacy policy, terms of use and other policies of the relevant third party before providing personal information or entering into any transaction or engagement with them.

22. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Some HobbyMela technology or service providers may process personal data outside India.

Where personal data is transferred or processed outside India, HobbyMela will do so in accordance with applicable Indian law and any applicable restrictions or requirements relating to such transfers.

23. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

Hobbymela may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

• changes in the Platform;
• changes in our data practices;
• changes in applicable law;
• regulatory requirements; or
• improvements to our policies.

The updated version will be published on the Platform with a revised “Last Updated” date.

Where required by law, Hobbymela will provide additional notice or obtain consent for material changes.

24. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER HOBBYMELA POLICIES

This Privacy Policy should be read together with:

• HobbyMela Terms of Use;
• Artist Partner Terms;
• Refund & Cancellation Policy;
• Community & Content Policy;

If there is an inconsistency concerning the processing of personal data, this Privacy Policy will govern matters relating specifically to personal data, subject to applicable law.

25. CONTACT US

Email: hello@hobbymela.com

Phone: +91 89286 13244