What is the Government of India’s New Sanchar Saathi App? What Does it Do & Why are Experts Raising the Alarm

The Department of Telecommunications has ordered smartphone brands to ship every new device with the Sanchar Saathi app from March 2026, triggering strong criticism from digital rights groups and Opposition parties, which describe the move as a step towards mass surveillance and question whether such compulsory pre-installation is lawful under current telecom and privacy frameworks.

What is the Sanchar Saathi App?

Sanchar Saathi is a government-developed cybersecurity app and portal from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) meant to help Indian mobile users protect themselves from fraud, theft, and telecom misuse.

How the Sanchar Saathi App Functions?

After installation, Sanchar Saathi links a smartphone's IMEI number to the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), the national database that tracks all authorised mobile devices in India.

If a user reports their device as lost or stolen, CEIR blocks the IMEI across all networks, rendering the phone unusable even with a new SIM card. The system also detects IMEI tampering and notifies users of any suspicious or unauthorised mobile numbers registered under their identity, helping prevent SIM misuse and curb the circulation of black-market devices.

Sanchar Saathi Key Features & Purpose

Through Sanchar Saathi, users can block or track lost or stolen phones using the device's IMEI number, verify whether a handset is genuine, and view all mobile numbers registered under their identity. The app also lets users report suspicious calls, SMS or WhatsApp messages, such as phishing, false KYC alerts or scam attempts, using a feature called "Chakshu," helping curb telecom-related fraud.

The broader objective is to strengthen telecom cybersecurity, reduce the circulation of counterfeit or stolen devices, prevent misuse of SIMs and protect citizens from scams.

In short, Sanchar Saathi aims to give mobile users more control and security over their devices and telecom identity, making it easier to report fraud, block stolen phones, and ensure handset authenticity.

What is the Controversy?

The Department of Telecommunications says the compulsory Sanchar Saathi app installation aims to tackle "mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI [posing a] serious endangerment to telecom cyber security", arguing that embedding the software into phones at the manufacturing stage will improve detection of altered identifiers and help curb mobile-related cyber fraud and other offences.

However, the mandate reaches beyond telecom operators and now touches almost every firm that uses mobile numbers, after recent amendments expanded how the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 define telecommunication activity, creating a new Telecommunication Identifier User Entity category that includes smartphones, over-the-top apps like WhatsApp and other services authenticating people through phone numbers.

Legal Concerns and Privacy Debate

The government's power to insist on a pre-installed Sanchar Saathi app is unclear, as earlier interventions mostly involved softer steps, including promoting emergency contact features during the COVID-19 period and exploring, but not finally ordering, mandatory Aarogya Setu installation in 2020, while a 2018 TRAI move against firms blocking its DND spam-reporting app also stopped short of requiring pre-loading.

The fresh directions lean on the widened cyber security rule set, yet legal experts warn that a blanket Sanchar Saathi app mandate could invite a court challenge because India's Supreme Court recognised the right to privacy in the Puttaswamy verdict, and any large-scale data collection or persistent device-level presence may be tested against standards of legality, necessity and proportionality.

"A mandate like this could face constitutional scrutiny, particularly under the right to privacy recognised in the Puttaswamy judgment," Meghna Bal, director of the Esya Center think tank said. "While the ruling does allow certain exemptions for the state, it is important to note that Aadhaar withstood challenge largely because it was positioned as voluntary at the time. By requiring the Sanchar Saathi app to be pre-installed on every new device and preventing users from uninstalling it, the mandate shifts from optional participation to compelled compliance."

Policy analysts note that if Sanchar Saathi is compromised by malware or misused by insiders, the impact could be immediate and large, as millions of handsets sold in 2026 would already contain the app with powerful permissions, leaving many Indian smartphone users exposed at once even though the original scheme was introduced as a security measure against fraud and stolen devices.

The Problem with Pre-installed Apps

Pre-installed apps often hold elevated system privileges, sometimes called root access, which means the Sanchar Saathi app could automatically enjoy deeper control than software downloaded later from app stores, and Anand Venkatanarayanan from cyber security consultancy DeepStrat warned that once "you get root in OS layer by a government app, an over-the-air update is all it takes to 'get more permissions'," raising concerns about silent expansion of phone, SMS, or camera access.

Sanchar Saathi Permissions

Android: Permissions include access to call logs, the ability to send messages during registration, making and managing calls to detect linked mobile numbers, and access to the camera and stored images.

iPhones: Users will be prompted to grant access to the camera, photos, and files, but only for specific functions. Reuters reported that Apple has voiced privacy and security concerns over the mandate and won't comply with the Indian government's directive.

The Sanchar Saathi mandate aims to boost telecom security, but concerns over privacy, legality, and potential misuse continue to spark debate. As the rollout approaches, stronger transparency, user control, and legal safeguards will be crucial to ensure that protecting citizens from fraud doesn't come at the cost of their digital rights.