These three frameworks together cover the global enterprise compliance map for US SaaS with India operations. Done right, you build one control set that satisfies all three, the “assess once, map to many” approach. Done wrong, you run three duplicate projects.
Quick summary: who needs which
SOC 2: US enterprise buyers. ISO 27001: European and global buyers, some regulated sectors. DPDPA: anyone processing personal data of Indian residents, which includes nearly every company with an India team or Indian users.
Framework structure compared
SOC 2 is an attestation (a CPA opinion on your controls over a period). ISO 27001 is a certification (an accredited body certifies your ISMS). DPDPA is a law (statutory obligations enforced by a regulator). Different instruments, overlapping requirements.
Control overlap (with mapping)
Roughly 75% of controls overlap between SOC 2 and ISO 27001 (access control, change management, vulnerability management, incident response). Roughly 70% overlap between SOC 2 Privacy and DPDPA (notice, consent, rights, breach notification). The DPDPA-to-SOC 2 detail is in the cross-mapping playbook.
Audit/certification differences
SOC 2 is issued by a US CPA firm; ISO 27001 by an accredited certification body (TÜV, BSI, DNV, Bureau Veritas, well-established in India); DPDPA compliance is self-implemented and, for Significant Data Fiduciaries, independently audited annually.
Cost comparison
First-time, ballpark: SOC 2 $25K–$70K, ISO 27001 $20K–$50K, DPDPA implementation $15K–$60K. A unified control set cuts the combined cost meaningfully versus three separate efforts.
Sequencing recommendation
US-focused: SOC 2 first, ISO 27001 when European demand appears, DPDPA in parallel from day one if you have Indian data. Europe-focused: ISO 27001 first. DPDPA is never “later” if Indian residents are in scope.
The unified control set approach
Build controls once; map each to SOC 2, ISO 27001 and DPDPA. This is the “assess once, map to many” methodology, covered in its own vocabulary entry and it’s how the GCC compliance encyclopedia frames a complete program.
Where AttriEdge fits
The diagnostic tells you which frameworks your buyers actually require and produces a unified-control-set roadmap. $999, 48-hour deliverable.
Chain of custody. Drafted by H. Attri · Filed June 25, 2026 · One specimen of the evidence discipline AttriEdge operates for clients.