According to the Government officials, the application is expected to help reduce the volume of scams related to IMEI cloning, and thus reduce the volume of misuse of the network.
The Central Government has issued an important order aimed at improving the national security related to mobile devices. The order states that all new Android phones sold in India will have to be shipped to customers preloaded with the Central Government’s developed Sanchar Saathi cyber security solution.
To comply with the directive, major smartphone manufacturers (for example: Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, etc.) must do so within the 90-day period beginning immediately.
Government officials have indicated that the Sanchar Saathi Application will be permanently installed on the phone and cannot be uninstalled or disabled by the end user. The application will also be included with all software updates for existing devices.
Although the order has not yet been published, and only limited information has been distributed to the designated smartphone manufacturers regarding its contents, the application was developed in order to reduce cyber fraud, prevent improper use of counterfeit or duplicate IMEI numbers, and provide a method to trace stolen mobile devices.
According to the Government officials, the application is expected to help reduce the volume of scams related to IMEI cloning, and thus reduce the volume of misuse of the network.
What is the Sanchar Saathi App and how does it assist?
Sanchar Saathi is a cybersecurity solution introduced by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on January 17, 2025. Presently accessible on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for optional download, it will now be required on all new devices sold in India.
The application allows users to report dubious calls, texts, or WhatsApp conversations.
In addition, this device comes with an IMEI checker function to allow consumers to stop using their lost/stolen mobile devices which will hopefully help reduce the volume of mobile-related crimes, especially those committed using duplicate IMEI numbers.
India is home to about 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, making it the world’s largest market for smartphones. The use of cloned or counterfeit IMEI numbers has led to an increase in cybercrime in India. Both law enforcement and consumers rely on IMEI numbers, which are a unique 15-digit number used by the authorities to identify mobile devices, to identify mobile devices registered with their IMEI number. Criminals often clone IMEI numbers to confuse the law enforcement agencies, hide stolen mobile phones, commit fraud, or market mobile phones illegally (black-market).
The government asserts that Sanchar Saathi will aid law enforcement in tracking such devices more efficiently. In September, the DoT announced that over 22.76 lakh devices had been tracked using its systems.
Reports indicate that firms were not involved in discussions before the mandate, raising worries, particularly for Apple, due to its rules prohibiting the pre-installation of governmental or external applications. Apple previously faced conflicts with regulators regarding anti-spam applications. Experts think Apple might engage in discussions with the government and could suggest displaying voluntary prompts instead.
The updated regulation will improve user safety by allowing them to quickly block stolen devices and more easily report fraudulent activity. Nevertheless, privacy organizations might raise concerns about the impossibility of removing the application.
The DoT is confident that the initiative will greatly enhance telecom security, allowing for the potential inclusion of advanced capabilities such as AI-driven fraud detection later on.
