Facing backlash, govt takes back Sanchar Saathi pre-install order

The central government has withdrawn directions requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app by March next year, a move that had sparked political uproar and triggered a social-media backlash. 

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said Wednesday that handset makers were no longer mandated to pre-install the app, with the government reversing course after a sharp spike in downloads following last month’s directive. “Given Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance, the government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” stated the DoT, under the Ministry of Communications. Officials said the department would issue a circular to that effect. 

The statement came a day after the government clarified that the app could be deleted, even as some global handset makers had indicated they were unlikely to implement the mandate.

 

The department added that more than 600,000 citizens registered to download the app on December 1 alone—a tenfold increase. It said 14 million users had downloaded the app and were contributing information on 2,000 fraud incidents a day. “The number of users has been increasing rapidly and the mandate to install the app was meant to accelerate this process and make the app available easily to less-aware citizens,” the department said, outlining the rationale behind its earlier directive.

 

The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), which represents most handset makers operating in India, including Apple, said the government’s shift reflected a pragmatic policy approach and underscored the importance of stakeholder consultations.

 

“We welcome the government’s decision to withdraw the earlier mandatory requirement and to remove the mandatory cap associated with the Sanchar Saathi app, while maintaining a strong focus on combating cybersecurity frauds,” said ICEA Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo. He added that the measure initially suggested by the government, aimed at enhancing cybersecurity, would be most effective if not imposed mandatorily but advanced with clarity and confidence-building.

 

“This decision also reaffirms the importance of comprehensive stakeholder consultations to ensure that future digital-security policies are inclusive, technically robust, and aligned with on-ground realities,” he said.

 

Mishi Choudhary, founder of tech-policy think tank SFLC.in, flagged concerns about arbitrary policy decisions taken without efficacy assessments and asked the government to address the root causes of fraud. “This is a welcome move, but arbitrary policy decisions without any analysis of what effectively works to curb frauds is concerning. While this may have been rolled back, the SIM-binding mandate is still a major concern that will make citizens’ lives harder. If DoT is serious about solving the issue, it should address major fraud vectors such as social engineering like phishing, smishing, remote-access apps, SIM swap, mule bank accounts, fake loan apps, and cross-border call centres. These require financial-network controls, not a phone-side app,” she said.

 

Earlier in the day, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha the government was open to modifying rules that mandated pre-loading of the app, based on consumer feedback.

 

The Sanchar Saathi portal, launched in 2023, and the app, launched in January 2025, have together enabled the disconnection of 15 million fraudulent connections, tracing of 2.6 million stolen mobile phones and recovery of 700,000 stolen devices.

 

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Scindia addressed concerns that the app could be used for government surveillance. “I must affirm that, on this app, neither is snooping possible, nor will snooping happen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wants to give power to the country’s public so that they can keep themselves safe,” he said.

 

The DoT’s AI and Intelligence unit issued the directive on November 28, mandating smartphone makers to pre-load the app on devices before sale and “endeavour to push the app” to units already manufactured and in sales channels via software updates. The directive, issued under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024, also required that the pre-loaded app not be deletable.

 

The order triggered political uproar, with opposition leaders alleging the app could become a surveillance tool, while legal and public-policy experts warned the move ran counter to the spirit of privacy laws the government introduced last month.