The Indian government’s push for digital safety has led to a new mandate: all new smartphones sold in India, whether manufactured locally or imported, must now come with the Sanchar Saathi app pre-installed. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued strict instructions to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and importers, emphasizing that the app must be easily discoverable and fully functional from the moment a user sets up their new device. No features of the app are permitted to be disabled.
What exactly is Sanchar Saathi? This government initiative, launched in May 2023, acts as a central hub for combating mobile fraud and ensuring user security. It offers a range of indispensable services designed for the modern smartphone user. These include the critical functions of reporting and blocking lost or stolen phones, checking all mobile numbers linked to your identity, and accessing verified contact details for banks and financial institutions. The app also helps users confirm the legitimacy of their handset, identify misleading communications, and report international calls that pretend to be domestic.
Officials highlight that this pre-installation will dramatically speed up the reporting of fraud and stolen devices, eliminating the need for users to search for separate web portals. The platform has already achieved significant milestones, facilitating the blocking of over 4.2 million phones and the recovery of more than 2.6 million lost devices. It has also handled millions of user queries regarding mobile connections linked to their personal identification.
The mandate aims to safeguard citizens from counterfeit products, empower them to report misuse of telecom services promptly, and enhance the overall security infrastructure. Leading global smartphone brands have been given a timeframe of 90 days to integrate the Sanchar Saathi app, with compliance verification set for 120 days.
