Sanchar Saathi decoded: Why the gov wants it installed on your phone

DoT's directive requires the app to be visible and functional on first use, even as the minister stresses that activation remains optional.

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The government’s latest push to strengthen mobile-user security has brought the Sanchar Saathi app back into the spotlight.

According to the official release, every new smartphone sold in India must now come with the application pre-installed, visible, functional, and enabled during the first device set-up. Manufacturers have been instructed not to disable, hide, or restrict the app’s capabilities, and to file a compliance report within 120 days.

This directive, issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on December 1, 2025, has triggered questions from privacy activists.

Responding to these concerns a day later, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that Sanchar Saathi remains completely optional, can be deleted at any time, and does not allow surveillance. His comments, made outside Parliament, were aimed at addressing apprehensions raised by opposition parties.

 

What is the government’s stand?

The push comes amid a surge in cybercrime targeting mobile phones, which have become gateways to banking, investments, government services and digital payments. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, reported more than 20,00,000 cyber incidents in 2024, and scams using forged KYC details, cloned IMEI numbers and spoofed caller IDs continue to rise. 

DoT data released via the Press Information Bureau (PIB) shows the scale of the problem and the early impact of Sanchar Saathi since its January 2025 launch:

 

• Over 42 lakh stolen or lost devices blocked
• 26 lakh phones traced, with 7.23 lakh returned
• 40.96 lakh fraudulent mobile connections removed
• 6.2 lakh counterfeit or fraud-linked IMEIs blocked
• Financial-fraud alerts helping avert losses of about Rs 475 crore

The government believes wider visibility of the app will make it easier for users to access device-level protection without navigating downloads or multiple settings.

 

What Sanchar Saathi helps users do

The app integrates several citizen-facing telecom-security services:

 

• Check all mobile connections issued in one’s name, and flag unauthorised SIMs created using fake KYC documents.
• Block or trace lost and stolen phones nationwide using the Central Equipment Identity Register.
• Verify device authenticity by checking the IMEI.
• Report suspicious calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages through the Chakshu tool.
• Avoid phishing by accessing verified contact information of banks and financial institutions.
• Report spoofed international calls that appear as +91 domestic numbers.

 

What permissions the app seeks

According to the official version on the Google Play Store (v1.5.0), the app may request access to:

 

• Camera
• Call logs
• Telephone
• SMS
• Storage

Other permissions: flashlight control, vibration, run at startup, foreground services, network access, prevent phone from sleeping, show notifications, Google Play licence check

 

Potential threats and risks

While positioned as a “digital shield”, the app’s design and mandate raise legitimate concerns. A balanced view acknowledges benefits (e.g., fraud reduction) alongside risks:

 

Privacy and surveillance risks: Critics fear backdoor updates could expand data collection, enabling mass surveillance. The non-removable core (per mandate) limits user agency, contradicting “optional” claims. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram noted inconsistencies in the directive.

 

Data security vulnerabilities: As a government app, it handles sensitive info (Aadhaar-linked). Past data breaches (e.g., alleged CoWIN data leak) amplify fears of hacks. No independent audit is mentioned.

 

Operational shortcomings: Users report delays in resolutions (e.g., 2+ months for unauthorised connection removals). UI is criticised for being non-AI-optimised, reducing usability. Mandatory pre-install could bloat devices, draining battery, on the Google Play Store and X.