The department of telecom has asked all major smartphone makers to pre-install new devices with a government cybersecurity app called Sanchar Saathi, which cannot be deleted or disabled. Manufacturers have 90 days to comply with the directive, Reuters has reported.
The order, which has not been made public and was sent privately to smartphone manufacturers, requires the app to be delivered via a software update if the devices are already in the supply chain.
The app, currently available as an optional download on App Store and Play Store, is a successor to the portal by the same name launched by the government in May 2023.
The app can be used to block lost/ stolen mobile handsets, “know mobile connections in your name”, figure out “genuineness of your mobile handset” and “report incoming International call with Indian number”.
The DoT had launched the app for Android and iOS in January. The app also has a “Chakshu” facility that allows users to report fraud calls and texts, including those made via WhatsApp.
Privacy advocates have expressed concern about the mandate for the pre-installation of the app, which effectively removes the need for user consent, a cornerstone of data protection laws.
Around August, the Russian government had asked a state-backed messenger app called Max to be pre-installed on all mobiles and tablets sold in that country. Critics say Max could be used to track users. The decision came at a time when Moscow, which continues to be at war with Ukraine, wanted greater control over the Internet.
In China, WeChat dominates every part of digital life, and the government strictly censors the Internet and blocks content through a “Great Firewall”.
Once Sanchar Saathi is pre-installed, the Centre apparently aims to combat telecom cyber threats posed by duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers that have supposedly enabled scams and network misuse.
The International Mobile Equipment Identity, or IMEI, is a unique 15-digit code that identifies a specific mobile device on a network, helping mobile networks identify and authenticate devices.
The development follows a recent private directive by the department to online communications platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal to implement SIM binding within 90 days.
This requires platforms to ensure that their services are continuously linked to the SIM card used to register them. Web-based chat sessions will be logged out every six hours.
At the moment, apps such as WhatsApp require users to validate their mobile number only once before using the service on multiple devices like a laptop and tablet. SIM binding will force messaging platforms to stop working if the SIM is taken out.
On November 25, the department announced that Sanchar Saathi had enabled “the recovery of over 50,000 lost and stolen mobile handsets across India in October 2025 for the first time”. The overall “recovery nationwide has also crossed the seven lakh” mark.
According to the results of the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom, 2025, approximately 85.5 per cent of households in India possess at least one smartphone.
