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Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

🔒 Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 2, 2025

Kheti Mantra Pvt. Ltd.
Madi, Chitwan, Nepal
📧 [email protected]
📞 +977 986-5020935
🌐 www.khetimantra.com.np

At Kheti Mantra, your privacy is our top priority. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our app, including our e-commerce marketplace. By using the Kheti Mantra App, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

📘 1. What We Do

Kheti Mantra is a community-based agriculture app designed for Nepali farmers. We provide:

Free lifetime farming video/text courses
Support for crop and livestock issues
Real-time weather updates
Access to agro-insurance, animal vaccination, and expert advice
Soil and water testing services
Nagarpalik (municipality) information for farmers to access local agricultural services easily
E-commerce marketplace for buying and selling agricultural products

Our mission is to empower farmers — not collect or misuse their data.

🔍 2. What Information We Collect

a. Personal Information

When you create an account on our app, we collect:

📱 Mobile Number
👤 Name
🔐 4-digit PIN
(Optional) 🤳 Biometric login details (stored securely on your device only)

b. E-Commerce Additional Information

For All Users (Buyers):

📍 Delivery Address (for order fulfillment)
📞 Contact Number (for delivery coordination)
🆔 Order History (to track your purchases)

For Sellers (Farmers):

🏦 Bank Account Details or Mobile Wallet Information (for payment settlement)
📍 Farm/Business Location (for product origin verification)
🆔 Seller Profile Information (optional: farm details, certifications)
📊 Product Listings (images, descriptions, pricing)
📦 Sales History and Transaction Records

c. Farming Problem Submissions

When you share your farming issues, we may collect:

📷 Images
🎤 Audio messages
📝 Text descriptions

These are only used to offer relevant solutions and are not shared with anyone outside our support team.

d. Location Information

We request your device's location (with your permission) to:

Show accurate local weather updates
Provide Nagarpalik (municipality) details relevant to your location
Display nearby sellers and estimate delivery times in the marketplace
Enable location-based product search

Important: We do not store or track your location permanently. Location is accessed only when you use specific features.

e. Transaction and Payment Information

For Online Payments:

Transaction ID and payment confirmation
Payment method used (eSewa, Khalti, bank transfer, etc.)
Transaction amount and date
Note: We do NOT store your credit/debit card numbers, CVV, or banking passwords. All payment processing is handled by secure third-party payment gateways (eSewa, Khalti, etc.)

For Cash on Delivery (COD):

Order details and delivery confirmation
COD amount and payment status

f. Communication Data

Messages between buyers and sellers (for dispute resolution)
Customer support communications
Order-related notifications and confirmations

🧑‍🌾 3. How We Use Your Information

We use the data only to improve your farming experience and facilitate secure transactions, including:

General App Usage:

Creating and managing your user profile
Sending solution notifications to your submitted problems
Delivering personalized farming tips and alerts
Showing weather data for your region
Providing Nagarpalik-specific agricultural information and announcements
Responding to agro-service requests (insurance, vaccinations, etc.)

E-Commerce Marketplace Usage:

Order Processing: To fulfill your orders and coordinate delivery
Payment Processing: To facilitate secure transactions and transfer payments to sellers
Seller Verification: To ensure marketplace integrity and prevent fraud
Communication: To enable buyer-seller communication for order clarification
Dispute Resolution: To mediate conflicts and resolve issues fairly
Order Tracking: To provide updates on your order status
Refund Processing: To handle cancellations and returns
Analytics: To improve marketplace features and user experience (aggregated, non-personal data only)
Legal Compliance: To maintain transaction records as required by Nepali law

What We DON'T Do:

❌ We do not sell, share, or rent your personal data to any third-party company or ad platform
❌ We do not share your contact information with other users without your consent
❌ We do not use your data for targeted advertising
❌ We do not disclose your financial information to unauthorized parties

🧰 4. Data Security

We use strong security practices to protect your data:

General Security Measures:

All data is stored in secure, encrypted servers
We follow Google Play Store and Apple App Store data policies
Your biometric login is never stored on our servers, only on your device
Data is only accessible by authorized team members for support purposes
Regular security audits and updates

E-Commerce Specific Security:

Payment Security: All payment transactions are processed through PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways
Encrypted Communication: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
Secure Payment Gateway: We use trusted, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) approved payment partners (eSewa, Khalti)
No Card Storage: We never store complete credit/debit card information on our servers
Bank Details Protection: Seller bank account information is encrypted and accessible only for payment processing
Transaction Verification: Multi-layer verification for financial transactions
Fraud Detection: Automated systems to detect and prevent fraudulent activities

💳 5. Payment Data and Third-Party Payment Processors

How Payment Information is Handled:

Online Payments:

When you make an online payment, you are redirected to secure third-party payment gateways (eSewa, Khalti, bank portals)
These payment processors handle your sensitive financial information
We only receive transaction confirmation (success/failure) and transaction ID
Payment gateways follow international security standards (PCI-DSS)

What We Collect:

✅ Transaction ID
✅ Payment status (success/pending/failed)
✅ Transaction amount
✅ Payment method type (eSewa/Khalti/Bank)
✅ Transaction date and time

What We DON'T Collect:

❌ Credit/Debit card numbers
❌ CVV/Security codes
❌ Banking passwords
❌ PIN numbers
❌ Complete bank account details

Seller Payment Information:

Seller bank account or mobile wallet details are collected for payment settlements
This information is encrypted and stored securely
Only accessible to authorized financial processing team
Used solely for transferring earned amounts to sellers

🔄 6. Data Sharing and Third Parties

Who We May Share Data With:

Payment Processors (eSewa, Khalti, Banks):

Purpose: To process payments securely
Data Shared: Transaction amount, order ID, user ID
Privacy: These partners follow strict financial data protection regulations

Delivery/Logistics Partners:

Purpose: To deliver products to buyers
Data Shared: Name, delivery address, contact number, order details
Privacy: Partners are contractually bound to protect your information

Weather API Provider:

Purpose: To provide accurate local forecasts
Data Shared: General location coordinates (no personal data)

Municipality Data API:

Purpose: To provide Nagarpalik-related agricultural information
Data Shared: No personal information shared

Legal Authorities:

Purpose: Only if required by Nepali law or legal proceedings
Data Shared: Minimum necessary information as mandated by court order

What We DON'T Share:

❌ Personal information with advertisers
❌ Data with social media platforms
❌ Contact lists or communication history with marketers
❌ Seller earnings or buyer purchase history with unauthorized parties

🗑️ 7. Account & Data Deletion

You have full control over your data. At any time, you can:

How to Delete Your Account:

Go to App Settings → Delete Account
Confirm the action using your registered phone number
Your account and all related data will be permanently deleted within 72 hours of your request

E-Commerce Considerations:

Pending Orders: You must complete or cancel all pending orders before account deletion
Seller Accounts: Sellers must settle all outstanding payments and resolve disputes
Transaction Records: For legal and tax compliance, transaction records may be retained for 5 years as required by Nepali law, but will be anonymized (personal identifiers removed)
Refund Processing: If you have pending refunds, they will be processed before account deletion

What Gets Deleted:

Personal profile information
Contact details
Problem submissions and support history
Product listings (for sellers)
Communication history
Preferences and settings

What May Be Retained (Anonymized):

Aggregated sales/purchase statistics (no personal identifiers)
Transaction records (as required by law)
Dispute resolution records (for legal purposes)

💡 8. Data Retention

How Long We Keep Your Data:

Active Accounts:

For as long as your account is active
For support purposes (like problem resolution)
To ensure a personalized experience

After Account Deletion:

Most personal data deleted within 72 hours
Transaction records retained for 5 years (legal requirement)
Aggregated, anonymized analytics retained indefinitely

E-Commerce Specific Retention:

Order History: Retained for 2 years after order completion (for warranty, disputes)
Payment Records: Retained for 5 years (tax and legal compliance)
Seller Transaction History: Retained for 5 years (accounting and tax purposes)
Cancelled Orders: Retained for 1 year (for refund processing and analytics)
Refund Records: Retained for 5 years (financial auditing)

📋 9. Children's Privacy

Kheti Mantra is meant for adult farmers or supervised users. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If such data is found, we will delete it immediately upon request.

E-Commerce Restriction: Users must be 18 years or older to buy or sell products on our marketplace.

🛡️ 10. Your Rights

As a user, you have the right to:

✅ Access the data you have provided
✅ Correct or update any inaccurate data
✅ Delete your account and related data anytime
✅ Export your data (order history, transaction records)
✅ Opt-out of promotional communications
✅ Restrict certain data processing activities
✅ Object to automated decision-making
✅ Contact us with any concerns regarding your privacy

How to Exercise Your Rights:

Update Information: Go to Profile Settings in the app
Download Data: Request via email at [email protected]
Delete Account: Use the in-app deletion feature
Privacy Concerns: Contact our support team

🍪 11. Cookies and Tracking

We use minimal tracking technologies:

Session Cookies: To keep you logged in
Preference Cookies: To remember your settings
Analytics: Aggregated, anonymized usage data to improve the app

We do NOT use:

❌ Third-party advertising cookies
❌ Social media tracking pixels
❌ Cross-site tracking
❌ Behavioral profiling for ads

🧭 12. Changes to This Policy

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy. In case of any major changes, we will:

Notify users via in-app alerts
Update the date at the top of this page
For significant changes affecting e-commerce or payments, provide 30 days advance notice

We recommend reviewing this page periodically to stay informed.

Version History:

Version 2.0 (July 2, 2025): Added e-commerce privacy provisions
Version 1.0 (Initial): Basic app privacy policy

📩 13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy or how your data is used, feel free to contact us:

General Inquiries:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: +977 986-5020935
🌐 Website: www.khetimantra.com.np

Data Protection Officer:
📧 [email protected]

E-Commerce & Payment Issues:
📧 [email protected]

Response Time: We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 48 hours.

🌾 Kheti Mantra – Technology for the Soil of Nepal

Helping farmers grow with knowledge, not complexity.

Your trust is our greatest asset. We are committed to protecting your privacy while empowering you to grow, earn, and thrive.

Last Updated: July 2, 2025
Version 2.0 (E-Commerce Enabled)