Officials argue the app is essential
India’s telecoms ministry has directed major smartphone manufacturers to pre-load a state-owned cybersecurity app on all new devices.
This has triggered fresh concerns among privacy advocates and setting up a likely confrontation with Apple.
The private order, dated November 28, instructs companies including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi to install the Sanchar Saathi app on every new handset sold in India.
The software cannot be deleted or disabled. Manufacturers have been given 90 days to comply. Devices already in the supply chain must receive the app through software updates.
The move comes amid a sharp rise in cybercrime and phone-related fraud.
India joins a growing list of countries, including Russia, adopting strict measures aimed at curbing the misuse of stolen smartphones and expanding the reach of state-backed digital tools.
A lawyer specialising in technology matters warned that the mandate raises significant red flags.
Mishi Choudhary said: “The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice.”
Privacy campaigners had already criticised a similar requirement in Russia, where authorities ordered the pre-installation of a state-run messenger app earlier this year.
India’s telecoms market is one of the largest in the world, with more than 1.2 billion subscribers.
Government figures show Sanchar Saathi has supported the recovery of more than 700,000 lost phones since its January launch, including 50,000 in October alone.
Officials argue the app is essential to safeguard the country’s telecom networks.
The order cites “serious endangerment” from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which enable scams and widespread misuse of mobile connections.
Apple faces particular challenges under the directive. iOS powered an estimated 4.5% of India’s 735 million smartphones by mid-2025, according to Counterpoint Research.
The company pre-installs its own apps but prohibits installation of government or third-party software before a device is sold.
Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint, said:
“Apple has historically refused such requests from governments.
“It’s likely to seek a middle ground: instead of a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an option to nudge users towards installing the app.”
The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a 14- to 17-digit unique identifier used to block network access for stolen handsets.
Sanchar Saathi integrates a central database enabling users to report, block and track devices across all networks. It also helps them identify and disconnect fraudulent mobile connections.
Since launch, more than 5 million people have downloaded the app.
Officials say it has facilitated the blocking of more than 3.7 million stolen or lost phones and enabled the termination of more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
Government representatives maintain that pre-loading the software will strengthen national defences against cyberthreats.
They say the app supports police investigations, curbs the circulation of counterfeit phones and helps prevent identity-based scams linked to illegal SIM use.
But political opposition has accused the ministry of crossing constitutional boundaries. The Congress party demanded an immediate reversal of the directive.
KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary, said:
“Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT (Department of Telecommunications) Direction is beyond unconstitutional.”
“The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
“A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen.
“This is part of the long series of relentless assaults on the constitutional rights of Indian citizens and will not be allowed to continue.
“We reject this direction and demand an immediate rollback.”
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