Sanchar Saathi to Be Mandatory on All New Phones: Govt Orders Pre-Installation, No Delete Option

In a major move to tighten cybersecurity, India’s telecom ministry has directed smartphone makers to pre-install the government’s Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices sold in the country. According to a Reuters report, companies will not be allowed to offer users the option to delete or disable the app. With more than 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, the government believes this step will help curb cyber fraud, phone theft and the misuse of fake or cloned IMEI numbers.The Sanchar Saathi app is already being used by millions of people and is designed to help users verify IMEI numbers, report suspicious calls or messages and block stolen phones through a central government system. Officials claim the app has played a key role in recovering more than 7

lakh lost or stolen mobile phones since January, including a record 50,000 recoveries in October alone. The system has also helped block 3.7 million stolen phones and terminate over 3 crore fraudulent mobile connections.However, the implementation is not without controversy. The directive, issued on November 28, gives manufacturers 90 days to comply, but the rule is expected to face strong pushback, especially from companies like Apple. Apple normally does not allow government or third-party apps to be pre-installed before sale. According to the report, the company may request a middle-ground solution, such as offering a pop-up prompt to encourage users to install the app voluntarily instead of forcing it onto devices.Other major players like Google, Samsung and Xiaomi have not yet commented on the directive. Meanwhile, digital rights groups have raised concerns about privacy and the impact of mandatory app installation, but the telecom ministry has not responded to these issues so far.The government argues the move is necessary to fight rising cybercrime and the widespread use of fake IMEI numbers by scam networks. By strengthening device traceability, authorities believe they can track stolen or suspicious phones more effectively and reduce the spread of counterfeit devices in the market.For users, the app could make it easier to block stolen phones and keep an eye on suspicious activity but it also limits their control over what apps remain on the device. For smartphone manufacturers, the directive presents both technical and policy challenges, especially with the short compliance window.