New Delhi, India | December 2,2025 | SKY LINK TIMES
Sanchar Saathi Must Come Pre-Installed on All Phones in India:
India’s telecom ministry has directed smartphone manufacturers to preload all upcoming devices with the government-owned cybersecurity application Sanchar Saathi, according to a private order issued on 28 November 2025. The app will be non-removable, and companies have been given 90 days to comply.
The move aims to curb rising cybercrime and mobile identity fraud across the country, but it has triggered privacy concerns and potential conflict with global smartphone giants, including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi.
Table of Contents
Aimed at Combating Cyber Fraud, but Critics Alarmed
The government argues that the app is essential to tackle duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, a widespread enabler of financial scams, phone theft and network misuse. The Sanchar Saathi platform uses a central registry to help users block, track and recover lost or stolen smartphones and terminate fraudulent mobile connections.
Government data shows the app—launched in January 2025—has:
Recovered 700,000 lost phones so far
Blocked 3.7 million stolen or lost devices
Terminated over 30 million fraudulent connections
Helped recover 50,000 stolen phones in October 2025 alone
Officials say the measure protects 1.2 billion telecom subscribers from cybersecurity threats.
However, digital rights advocates argue that mandatory installation without consent undermines user privacy.
> “The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, a technology law expert focused on internet rights.
Apple Expected to Resist New Mandate
Apple, which controls roughly 4.5% of India’s 735 million smartphones, has internal policies rejecting government-forced pre-installation of apps. The company previously clashed with India’s telecom regulator over an anti-spam app.
Analyst Tarun Pathak of Counterpoint Research said:
> “Apple has historically refused such requests. They might instead negotiate to offer optional installation prompts rather than mandatory preloading.”
Major Android manufacturers have not yet publicly responded.
The order also instructs phone makers to push the app via software updates to devices already in the supply chain.
Also Read:https://skylinktimes.in/samsung-unveils-galaxy-z-trifold/
Global Parallels
India joins countries such as Russia, which in August 2025 mandated pre-installation of the government-backed Max messenger app—a move also criticized for state surveillance concerns.
Digital rights groups warn of potential government overreach if similar requirements expand to other services.
Conclusion
While the Indian government frames Sanchar Saathi as a public-safety and anti-fraud tool, critics stress the importance of transparency, data protection and user control. The next three months will reveal whether global manufacturers comply, negotiate—or push back.
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