Disaster Recovery in India: What a Cloud DR Plan Includes
A practical guide to cloud disaster recovery in India, covering critical systems, RTO and RPO targets, backup locations, recovery procedures, testing, and regulatory considerations for businesses planning for disruption.
By Anjali Daksh·Published: October 25, 2026 at 11:45 AM ISTA disaster recovery plan is the document you hope never to open. When you need it, you won't have time to write it. Disaster recovery in India covers more than a second copy of your data. It covers who does what, in what order, and how long the business can stay down.
What the rules say in India
The Reserve Bank of India issued its Master Direction on Outsourcing of Information Technology Services on 10 April 2023. It became effective on 1 October 2023 for outsourcing agreements, according to a Khaitan & Co summary. This rule applies to banks, NBFCs, co-operative banks, credit information companies and All India Financial Institutions. It requires these organizations to ensure that service providers develop a framework for documenting, maintaining and testing business continuity and disaster recovery plans. It also asks them to consider bringing services back in-house in an emergency. It requires data to be held in India.
Three cautions. This is a law firm’s summary, not the RBI text. It applies to financial entities, so it may not bind your business. And it does not set a recovery time, so those targets are yours to decide.
Disaster recovery in India: what the plan needs
This section is our view. A cloud DR plan has six parts.
Scope. List which systems matter most in order. Not everything needs the recovery speed.
Targets. Decide how much data loss you can accept (recovery point) and how long each system can stay down (recovery time). These two numbers drive cost.
Copies. Keep data in a location separate from the first so one event cannot reach both.
Steps. Write the sequence for bringing systems with names and phone numbers in a place that does not depend on the systems being down.
Testing. Run the plan on a schedule. A plan that has never been tested usually has a gap.
Return. Plan how to move to normal once the problem is fixed.
Cloud helps because a second site can be started without buying a data centre. It also adds questions: who controls the account, where the data sits and how you pay if you switch.
What to ask before you sign off a DR plan
· Which system returns first and how long will it take?
· How much recent data could be lost?
· Where are the copies? Who can reach them?
· When did you last test a recovery?
· What happens if the provider itself has a problem?
How We Approach Disaster Recovery in India
Backup and disaster recovery is one of the six sub-services of our Cloud Services, alongside strategy and consulting, migration, security, DevOps and automation and monitoring and reporting. We work across AWS, Azure and GCP. For disaster recovery in India, we begin by agreeing which systems matter most and how long each can be down.
If your team is writing a plan for disaster recovery, in India we’d welcome the conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What should a cloud disaster recovery plan include?+
A cloud disaster recovery plan should identify critical systems, define recovery time and recovery point objectives, document backup locations, assign responsibilities, provide recovery instructions, schedule tests, and explain how to return to normal operations.
What is the difference between RTO and RPO?+
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is the target time within which a system or service should be restored after disruption. Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is the maximum amount of data loss, measured in time, that the business can accept. Both targets should reflect business needs.
How often should a disaster recovery plan be tested?+
Testing frequency should reflect system criticality, operational risk, and applicable requirements. Teams should establish a documented schedule, test recovery procedures, record results, and update the plan when systems or dependencies change.
Is cloud backup the same as disaster recovery?+
No. Backup provides copies of data for restoration, while disaster recovery covers the wider process of restoring systems, services, access, and business operations. A backup alone does not guarantee that applications can be brought back online within the required time.
Does every Indian business have to follow the RBI's IT outsourcing directions?+
No. The RBI's Master Direction on Outsourcing of Information Technology Services applies to specified RBI-regulated entities and relevant outsourcing arrangements. Other businesses may have different contractual, sector-specific, or legal requirements. Applicability should be assessed for the particular organization and service.
Build a Cloud Disaster Recovery Plan You Can Test
Identify your critical systems, set practical recovery targets, and define the steps your team needs to restore operations. Explore EICE Cloud Services for disaster recovery planning across AWS, Azure, and GCP.