India’s telecom ministry has issued a directive requiring major mobile device manufacturers to pre-install a government cybersecurity app, Sanchar Saathi, on all new phones sold in the country. According to reports, the application cannot be deleted or disabled by users.
The directive, issued on November 28, 2025, gives manufacturers 90 days to implement the requirement. The app is also required to be pushed to phones already in the supply chain via a software update.
Key Features of Sanchar Saathi
Sanchar Saathi is an application designed to combat fraud and cybercrime. Available in web and mobile versions for Android and iOS, the app offers several security tools:
- Fraud Report: Users can report suspicious calls, spam and malicious links received by SMS or WhatsApp.
- Stolen Device Management: Allows users to lock stolen phones.
- Connection Control: Subscribers can verify the number of mobile connections registered in their name.
- Call Spoofing Detection: A crucial feature is the ability to report incoming international calls that pretend to be domestic, starting with the country code of India (+91).
The Indian government justifies this functionality by stating that these scam calls come from illegal overseas telecom setups that are disguised as domestic calls. This not only causes financial losses to the state but also poses a threat to national security.
Adoption and Effectiveness Statistics
Since its launch in May 2023, the Sanchar Saathi app has been installed over 11.4 million times. Most of the installations come from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The service has proven to be effective in managing stolen devices, having locked more than 4.2 million lost devices, tracked 2.6 million of them, and successfully recovered approximately 723,638 devices to date.
Parallels with Russian Regulation
This move by India is compared to similar regulatory actions taken by Russia. Starting September 1, 2025, Russia required the pre-installation of its own messaging application, MAX, on all smartphones, tablets, computers and smart TVs sold in the country.
Critics have expressed concern that the Russian app is being used to track users, allegations that state media has denied.
Additionally, Russian authorities have implemented partial restrictions on voice and video calls on messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp to counter criminal activity. Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has threatened to completely block WhatsApp if it does not comply with Russian law, citing its use to organize terrorist activities, recruitment and fraud.
Impact on Security and Privacy
The Indian directive seeks to address cybersecurity threats in telecommunications, including spoofing of IMEI numbers that are used to facilitate scams and network misuse. However, the mandatory nature of the application and the impossibility of removing it raise questions about user privacy and the balance between national security and individual freedoms.
The case of Russia, where restrictions on messaging apps have escalated, serves as a warning about the possible trajectory of government regulations in the technology sector.
References
- Reuters: News about the Indian telecommunications ministry’s directive.
- Roskomnadzor: Statements on restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram in Russia.
- Na Svyazi: Data on the status of application access restrictions in Russia.