The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) on Monday issued directions mandating that the Sanchar Saathi app be
pre-installed on all phones manufactured or imported for use in India. The aim is to help people verify genuine devices
and prevent misuse of telecom services.
The order, issued on November 28, 2025, requires the app to be clearly visible and easy to use during the initial setup
of any new handset. Manufacturers are not allowed to hide, disable or restrict any of its features. Companies have 90
days to comply with the order and 120 days to file a compliance report. For devices already in stores, they are expected
to add the app through software updates.
Sanchar Saathi is a citizen-centric initiative designed to combat cyber fraud and strengthen telecom security. Through
its portal and app, users can:
Check whether a mobile handset is genuine using its IMEI number
Report suspected fraud calls or messages
Report lost or stolen phones
See all mobile connections issued in their name
Access trusted contact details for banks and financial institutions
The initiative is backed by Telecom Cyber Security (TCS) Rules, which empower the government to issue IMEI-related
compliance directions to manufacturers.
The DoT has warned that duplicate or spoofed IMEIs pose a serious security risk, including cases where the same
identifier appears on multiple devices at the same time. India’s large second-hand mobile market has also seen cases of
stolen or blacklisted handset being resold, unintentionally involving buyers in criminal activity.
Sanchar Saathi helps users check whether an IMEI is blocked or blacklisted before buying a phone. Tampering with telecom
identifiers, including the 15-digit IMEI number of mobile phones, are non-bailable offences and can lead to imprisonment
of up to three years, fines up to Rs 50 lakh, or both under the Telecommunications Act 2023, the order stated.
The directive applies to all major mobile phone makers, including Apple, Samsung, Google, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi, most of
whom already manufacture their devices in India. The app is also available for download on the Play Store and Apple App
OPPOSTION SLAMS ORDER TO PRE-INSTALL SANCHAR SAATHI
The Congress on Monday dismissed the DoT’s order requiring the Sanchar Saathi app to be pre-installed on new mobile
phones, calling it unconstitutional and urging the government to withdraw it immediately.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the move violated citizens’ right to privacy, which he described as an
essential part of the fundamental right to life and liberty.
"Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part
of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution," he said.
"A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to
watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen," Venugopal said in a post on X.
The move, he alleged, is part of the long series of "relentless assaults" on the Constitutional rights of Indian
citizens, which will not be allowed to continue.
Venugopal also shared the DoT direction under Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), regarding the
pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile handsets to check their genuineness.
Aaditya Thackeray also weighed in, calling the move dictatorship, without calling it so in a post on X while sharing
journalist Nikhil Pahwa’s post on the issue.