New Delhi: A heated political storm has erupted over the Centre’s recent directive requiring all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the government’s Sanchar Saathi app on handsets made or imported in India. While the government claims the move will protect citizens from cyber fraud and aid in recovering lost or stolen phones, opposition parties, led by the Congress, have accused the Centre of pushing state surveillance and demanded an immediate rollback of the order.
Sanchar Saathi is a digital safety initiative launched by the Ministry of Communications, offering multiple citizen-centric services through a mobile app and web portal. One of its key features, Chakshu, enables users to report suspected cyber fraud, commercial spam calls, malicious web links, and fraudulent communications, including phishing attempts, device cloning, and malware delivered via SMS, RCS, iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
According to the app’s website, these reports help the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) monitor and prevent the misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime, financial frauds, and other digital threats. Since its launch, Sanchar Saathi has reportedly blocked 42 lakh stolen phones, aided the recovery of 7 lakh devices, and accumulated over 1 crore downloads on Android and nearly 10 lakh on iOS.
The Department of Telecommunications, under Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, issued a notice requiring all phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app within 90 days from November 28. The notification emphasizes that the app must be easily visible and fully functional for users during initial device setup, without any restrictions or options to disable it.
For devices already in circulation, the DoT has instructed manufacturers to deploy the app through software updates. The government has warned that non-compliance will attract punitive action.
The directive has drawn strong criticism from opposition leaders. Congress senior leader KC Venugopal described the move as “beyond unconstitutional” and a threat to citizens’ privacy. “The Right to Privacy is intrinsic to Article 21 of the Constitution. A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian,” he said on X. Venugopal demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order.
Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) called the policy “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment,” warning that intrusive measures to access individual phones will face widespread resistance. “If the IT Ministry thinks it can replace robust grievance systems with surveillance, it will be met with strong pushback,” she added.
The mandate may also create tensions with major tech companies. Apple, known for prioritizing user privacy, has historically resisted similar government directives. Industry insiders suggest that the DoT issued the order without prior consultation with phone manufacturers, which could complicate compliance for global brands. Neither Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, nor the Communications Ministry responded to Reuters queries on the matter.
As the controversy intensifies, India stands at a crossroads between digital safety initiatives and citizens’ right to privacy. Observers say the outcome of this debate could set important precedents for government-mandated technology interventions in personal devices.