Govt mandates pre-installation of 'Sanchar Saathi' app on all phones sold in India

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered all smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-install a government-backed Sanchar Saathi app on devices sold in the country.

In a directive dated November 28, the department said companies must ensure the app is visible, functional and enabled for users during initial device setup, and that its features cannot be disabled or restricted.

The order, which is likely to set up a confrontation with Apple and draw scrutiny from privacy advocates, applies to all devices manufactured or imported for sale in India.

Manufacturers must complete implementation within 90 days and submit a compliance report within 120 days, according to the government release issued on Monday.

The DoT also said companies should “make an endeavour” to push the app via software updates to devices that have already been produced and are currently in sales channels.

Sanchar Saathi, launched in January, allows users to verify the genuineness of handsets using IMEI numbers, report lost or stolen devices, flag suspected fraud calls, and check mobile connections registered in their name.

The order applies to a wide range of companies, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo.

Apple, which strictly bars the pre-installation of third-party or government apps on iPhones before sale, is expected to be among the most strongly affected.

The company previously clashed with the telecom regulator over developing a government anti-spam app in 2017.

Privacy advocates also raised concerns when Russia introduced a similar requirement in August for a state-backed messenger app called MAX to be pre-installed on smartphones.

India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market, has more than 1.2 billion mobile subscribers. Government data shows Sanchar Saathi has helped recover over 700,000 lost or stolen phones so far, including about 50,000 in October alone.

The DoT said duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers remain common in India’s large second-hand smartphone market, and can enable blacklisted or stolen devices to be resold, exposing buyers to potential criminal liability or financial loss.