The Justice BN Srikrishna-led committee on data protection is likely to recommend internet companies like Facebook and Google to store personal data of Indians in India, The Economic Times reported on Monday.

Majority of panel members have supported the decision to store data of Indians within the country based on the sensitivity surrounding data security, the report said citing unidentified people close to the development.

However, some members stood for free flow of data in order to maintain the advantage of country’s IT industry, the report said.

“Broadly, data has to be in the country. There are some areas where exemptions could be there but even from the country’s sovereignty point of view, vital data has to be stored locally…While sensitive personal data is already defined under many Acts, the committee will do the remaining job,” an unidentified person close to the matter told The Economic Times.

According to the report, the committee is expected to conduct its final meeting on Monday and submit its report before the end of June.

As per the report, people within the committee argue that the move may hurt the country’s software industry and will also have long-term impact on innovation and economic growth.

First Published:Jun 18, 2018 10:20 AM IST