Govt Orders Smartphone Makers to Preload Sanchar Saathi Cybersecurity App on all New Devices

India’s Telecom Ministry has privately instructed smartphone manufacturers to preload the government’s Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all new devices, Reuters reported.

The app would be non-removable, a condition likely to antagonise Apple and privacy advocates. The move follows a surge in cybercrime and hacking, placing India alongside jurisdictions such as Russia that have introduced rules aimed at limiting the use of stolen phones for fraud or to promote state-backed digital services.

The Directive

The order, dated November 28, gives major smartphone makers 90 days to ensure Sanchar Saathi is embedded in new handsets. Companies including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi are covered under the mandate.

For devices already in the supply chain, the ministry has instructed firms to push the app via software updates. The circular was not made public and was distributed privately to select manufacturers.

Sanchar Saathi Platform

India, one of the world’s largest mobile markets with more than 1.2 billion subscribers, launched the Sanchar Saathi platform in January. Government figures show it has helped recover more than 700,000 lost or stolen phones to date, including 50,000 in October alone, and has blocked over 3.7 million devices flagged as stolen or lost. Officials say the platform has also enabled the termination of more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.

Sanchar Saathi allows users to verify IMEI numbers, report suspicious calls, and block stolen devices through a centralised tracking system aimed at curbing scams linked to duplicate or spoofed identifiers. Authorities describe the initiative as essential to combating what they call a “serious endangerment” to India’s telecom cybersecurity.

However, the mandate risks escalating tensions with device makers, particularly Apple. According to the report, a person familiar with Apple’s operations said the company’s internal policies prohibit the pre-installation of third-party or government apps before a device is sold. This could potentially set up a confrontation similar to Apple’s earlier dispute with India’s telecom regulator over a mandatory anti-spam app.