Data Privacy Day | Why data privacy is now a top enterprise risk for Indian companies | Aon
Wassup! Is your data privacy secure?
Ahead of Data Privacy Day on 28th January, data privacy is no longer just an IT or compliance issue for Indian companies. Data protection failures today pose direct financial, reputational and business continuity risks, placing them alongside cyber attacks and economic slowdown as top enterprise threats.
Recent findings from Aon’s 2025 Global Risk Management Survey (India) underline this shift. While cyber attacks and data breaches remain the top business risk, data privacy and non-compliance has emerged as a top concern reflecting the growing influence of global and local regulatory frameworks.
Sharing a perspective from Apurva Gopinath, Cyber Leader and Vice President, Financial Services & Professional Group, India, Aon, which may be relevant for your story:
“As AI reshapes how data is collected, analyzed, and used, the stakes for protecting personal information have never been higher. According to publicly available sources, in 2025, the global average cost of a data breach was estimated at $4.4–$4.9 million, with cybercrime losses projected to reach trillions annually proof that cyber incidents can devastate finances, reputations, and trust.
People are paying attention. According to Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey, while “Cyber Attacks/Data Breach” remains the top risk for Indian businesses, “Data Privacy Requirements/Non-Compliance” has emerged as a top concern reflecting the growing influence of global and local regulatory frameworks.
This Data Privacy Day, the message is clear: privacy is no longer just about compliance, it’s about trust. Businesses must treat personal data with care by limiting what they collect, safeguarding what they hold, and being transparent about how AI and data drive their service. This can be supported by controls like encryption, access management, data loss prevention, and continuous monitoring. By combining these measures with cyber insurance and incident response, organizations can reduce the impact of potential breaches.”
Our leadership at Aon India would be happy to share perspectives on how organisations are rethinking data privacy through the lens of enterprise risk, insurance and resilience, and what Indian companies can do differently in 2026 and beyond.
Do let us know if this aligns with any stories you are working on around Data Privacy Day, or if you would like to quote Apurva Gopinath or reference the survey insights in an upcoming piece. We would be glad to support with any additional requirements.
