This design assumes a centrally governed data platform where lifecycle control, retention, and reuse are enforced as enterprise policy rather than workload choice. Ownership is anchored with a platform team ensuring data durability and audit traceability across AI pipelines on Azure, while consumption is mediated through governed access layers. The model prioritises controlled archival and rehydration over unrestricted data access, with Microsoft Purview providing lineage visibility and Azure Data Factory anchoring controlled data movement. It assumes that AI data is a long-lived asset requiring disciplined lifecycle management rather than transient processing.