Privacy Policy

This website (smacas.com) is operated by Srinath Manikanta & Co., Chartered Accountants, Flat No 102 & 202, Plot 441-442, Royal Cedar Apartment, Road No 30, KPHB 6th Phase, Hyderabad, Telangana - 500085 ("SMACAS", "we", "us"). This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website and how we handle it. It applies to the website only; information we receive while providing professional services to clients is additionally governed by our engagement terms and the confidentiality obligations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Information you give us. When you submit the Contact or Careers form we collect:

• Name, email address and (optionally) phone number and country code;
• For enquiries: the service you are interested in and the message you write;
• For career applications: the position you are applying for and any message you include.

Please do not include sensitive personal data (such as PAN, Aadhaar, bank or card details, or passwords) in these forms. We will ask for any documents we need through a separate, secure channel once an engagement begins.

Information collected automatically.

• Your IP address, which is sent with each form submission and used only to prevent spam and repeated submissions;
• Website usage data (pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser type, page performance) collected through Google Analytics, Vercel Web Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights. Google Analytics may set cookies or similar identifiers in your browser.

We do not run advertising, remarketing or social-media tracking pixels on this website.

• To respond to your enquiry and send you an acknowledgement email;
• To consider your job application and contact you about it;
• To prevent spam, abuse and duplicate submissions;
• To understand how the website is used and improve its content and performance;
• To comply with applicable law.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for unrelated marketing without your consent.

We process personal data in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and rules made under it, as applicable. By submitting a form you voluntarily provide your information for the purpose stated on that form and consent to its use as described here. You may withdraw consent at any time by writing to us (see section 9).

We use the following third-party services to operate the website. They process data on our behalf or as independent providers under their own policies:

• Google (Google Apps Script, Google Sheets and Gmail) - form submissions are stored in a Google Sheet and email notifications are sent through Google;
• Google Analytics - website usage statistics;
• Vercel - website hosting, Web Analytics and Speed Insights;
• ipify (api.ipify.org) - used by your browser to look up your public IP address at the time of form submission;
• Google Maps - the embedded map on the Contact page;
• Unsplash - some images are loaded from Unsplash servers.

Some of these providers are located outside India, so your information may be processed in other countries. We may also disclose information where required by law, court order or a government authority. Links to WhatsApp, LinkedIn and government websites take you to services we do not control; their privacy practices are their own.

We keep enquiry and application details only for as long as needed for the purpose they were given, or as required by law, and delete or anonymise them thereafter.

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect information submitted through the website, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections and limiting access to submitted records to our partners and staff. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Google Analytics is loaded, and sets cookies, only if you click "Accept" on the banner shown on your first visit; if you click "Decline" it is not loaded. Your choice is remembered in your browser and you can change it by clearing this site's data. Vercel Web Analytics and Speed Insights do not use cookies. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the website will continue to work.

Subject to applicable law, you may ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information you have submitted, withdraw your consent, or raise a grievance about how it is handled. Write to us at srinath@sermentcorp.com (or manikanta@sermentcorp.com) or call +91-8885862597, and we will respond within a reasonable time. If your concern is not resolved, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India once it is operational under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

This website is intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date above shows when it was last changed; continued use of the website after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Content on this website is for general information only and is not professional advice or a solicitation of work. Submitting a form does not create a client relationship until an engagement is confirmed in writing.