In this article, the author examines the third party exemption of India’s Right to Information Act, 2005. In his analysis, he identifies and discusses the principles on the need for transparency in contractual relationships between the government and private parties. The author identifies potential problems in the RTI Act, 2005, and in light of the Canadian experience with the 24 year old Access to Information Act, proposes ways to circumvent them or minimize their impact on the implementation of the Act.