Govt orders mandatory, undeletable Sanchar Saathi app on all phones; triggers privacy, surveillance concerns and opposition backlash. Photos: X.
Sanchar Saathi App: As the central government has directed all smartphone manufacturers to mandatorily pre-install the Sanchar Saathi mobile application on devices intended for use in India, the move has triggered fresh concerns over privacy and potential state surveillance.
The order, issued on November 21, requires companies, including Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, to comply within 90 days, failing which they may face penalties. The mandate also applies to devices that are being imported or are still “in pre-sales transit.”
According to the directive, “the Central government hereby directs every manufacturer and importer of mobile handsets that are intended for use in India to… ensure that the Sanchar Saathi mobile application, as specified by the Department of Telecom (DoT), is pre-installed on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India.”
To ensure this is not a symbolic exercise, the government has instructed smartphone makers to make the app “readily visible and accessible” during first use or initial device setup. They must also ensure that its features cannot be disabled or restricted.
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Manufacturers have additionally been asked to enable compliance for units already in the sales pipeline.
“For all such devices that have already been manufactured and are in sales channels in India, the manufacturer and importers of mobile handsets shall make an endeavour to push the App through software updates,” the order states.
The directive has been issued under the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024, and their amendments. Under these rules, the government is empowered to create digital mechanisms to flag activities that may pose a threat to telecom cybersecurity.
Citing Rule 5, the order says the DoT has instituted Sanchar Saathi as a tool that “enables stakeholders to report IMEI-related suspicious misuse and also to verify authenticity of IMEIs used in mobile devices.”
The government argues that devices with duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers pose “serious danger” to telecom cyber security.
Manufacturers must submit compliance reports within 120 days.
“Failure to comply with these directions shall attract action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), and other applicable laws,” the order warns.
Sanchar Saathi is described by the DoT as a citizen-centric initiative designed to “empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security” and raise awareness about government measures in the telecom space.
The directive has been strongly criticised by the Congress party, which on Monday demanded that the order be rolled back immediately.
Taking to X, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal called the move “beyond unconstitutional,” writing that “Big Brother cannot watch us.” He said the right to privacy flows directly from Article 21, which guarantees the fundamental right to life and liberty.
Calling the app “a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian,” Venugopal alleged it would allow the government to oversee “every movement, interaction and decision” of citizens.
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla also criticised the government’s decision, posting on X, “We will defeat the Govt move to order phone manufacturers to pre-install the undeletable Sanchar Saathi on all new phones sold in India & to push it on existing phones via updates. We will defeat this order constitutionally & democratically! Jai Hind Jai Bharat Jai Constitution!”
Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi made similar comments, terming the mandate “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment.”
She wrote on X: “Such shady ways to get into individual phones will be protested and opposed & if the IT Ministry thinks that instead of creating robust redressal systems it will create surveillance systems then it should be ready for a pushback.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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