New Delhi, December 4, 2025 – In a swift policy U-turn, India's Ministry of Communications announced on Wednesday the revocation of a controversial directive that would have compelled smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-install the government-developed "Sanchar Saathi" app on all new devices sold in the country. The decision, made just 48 hours after the order surfaced publicly, underscores the government's responsiveness to widespread concerns over digital privacy and surveillance in the world's largest democracy, where over 1.2 billion mobile connections are active.
The initial mandate, issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on November 28 under the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, required companies like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo to embed the app within 90 days on newly manufactured or imported handsets intended for the Indian market. It further stipulated that the app's functionalities "must not be disabled or restricted," and that manufacturers push it to existing devices via over-the-air software updates. The move was framed as a proactive step to combat the rising tide of telecom-related cyber frauds, including counterfeit device sales, stolen phone trafficking, and misuse of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers for scams.
Sanchar Saathi, which translates to "Communication Partner" in Hindi, is a multi-faceted cybersecurity portal and mobile application launched by the DoT in January 2025, building on a web-based platform initiated in 2023. Designed as a citizen-centric tool, it empowers users to report suspicious activities such as spam calls, fraudulent SMS, malicious links, and unauthorized mobile connections registered in their names. Key features include IMEI verification to detect fake devices, blocking of stolen handsets via the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), and real-time alerts for potential cyber threats. According to official data, the platform has already facilitated the disconnection of 1.5 crore (15 million) fraudulent mobile connections, the tracing of 26 lakh (2.6 million) lost or stolen phones, and the recovery of 7 lakh (700,000) devices since its inception. Users can access these services through the app on Android and iOS, or via WhatsApp integration, making it a participatory shield against the estimated 2,000 daily cyber-fraud incidents it helps document.
The app's rollout reflects India's broader digital security ambitions amid a surge in telecom-enabled crimes. In 2024 alone, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) reported over 1.1 million cyber fraud cases, with losses exceeding ₹10,000 crore (about $1.2 billion), many linked to voice phishing (vishing) and SIM swapping scams exploiting telecom vulnerabilities. By mandating pre-installation, the government aimed to ensure universal access, particularly for non-tech-savvy users in rural areas where smartphone penetration stands at around 70% but awareness of cybersecurity tools lags. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia defended the original intent in Parliament on Tuesday, emphasizing that the app operates only upon user registration and serves as a "Jan Bhagidari" (public participation) mechanism for collective defense against "bad actors in the cyber world." He highlighted its non-intrusive nature, assuring lawmakers that "snooping is neither possible nor will it happen," and that users retain full control to uninstall it at any time.
However, the directive ignited a firestorm of criticism almost immediately after its leak to media outlets on Monday. Opposition parties, including the Congress-led alliance, decried it as a blatant assault on privacy, with Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda accusing the government of enabling "watching over every movement, interaction, and decision of each citizen." In the Lok Sabha, leaders like Shashi Tharoor labeled it a "Trojan horse for surveillance," drawing parallels to past controversies such as the now-defunct Pegasus spyware allegations. Digital rights organizations, including the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), amplified these fears, warning that the app's potential need for "system-level or root-level access" could erode app sandboxing protections, allowing it to peer into other data streams without consent. The IFF called for the full text of any legal order to ensure no backdoor mandates remain, describing the episode as a "welcome development" but urging vigilance against future overreaches.
Industry stakeholders echoed these sentiments, viewing the order as logistically burdensome and contrary to global privacy standards like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), representing major players, welcomed the reversal as a "pragmatic policy approach" that prioritizes stakeholder consultations over top-down impositions. Sources indicated that tech giants had resisted due to the lack of prior dialogue and the technical challenges of customizing operating systems like iOS and Android exclusively for India, potentially delaying product launches and inflating costs. One manufacturer executive, speaking anonymously, noted that compliance could have required "baking in" the app at the firmware level, raising antitrust concerns under India's competition laws.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Ministry issued a terse statement via the Press Information Bureau (PIB), confirming the withdrawal: "Given Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance, the government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers." It cited a dramatic uptick in voluntary adoption—14 million total downloads to date, with 600,000 new registrations in the last 24 hours alone (a 10-fold increase)—as evidence of public trust. Monthly unique visitors to the app have surged 49% year-over-year, suggesting organic growth could achieve the government's goals without coercion. Scindia reiterated in a follow-up address that the app's success hinges on "public support," and the DoT stands ready to refine it based on feedback, positioning the reversal as a democratic concession rather than a retreat.
This episode marks a rare and rapid policy pivot for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, which has faced accusations of centralizing digital oversight through initiatives like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023. Last year, a similar backlash forced a rollback on laptop import licensing, highlighting the influence of global tech lobbies and domestic civil society in shaping India's tech ecosystem. Privacy advocates, while applauding the outcome, caution that the app's state-owned status warrants independent audits to verify its claims of minimal data collection—limited to fraud reports and IMEI checks, with no location tracking or call logging.
Looking ahead, the government's focus shifts to voluntary promotion. Manufacturers are now encouraged, rather than required, to highlight the app in device settings, while awareness campaigns via telecom operators aim to boost uptake among vulnerable demographics like the elderly and low-income users. As India races toward its 5G rollout and a projected 1.5 billion smartphone users by 2030, balancing cybersecurity with civil liberties remains a tightrope. The Sanchar Saathi saga serves as a reminder that in the digital age, trust is earned through transparency, not mandates.
