To bolster national cybersecurity and protect consumers, the Central government has issued a directive making the pre-installation of the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ application mandatory on all new mobile phones sold in India. This applies to devices manufactured or imported into the country. The move is strategically designed to empower citizens with the tools to combat cyber fraud and the misuse of telecom resources. The ‘Sanchar Saathi’ initiative is a key effort by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to create a more transparent and secure communication environment. Manufacturers and importers are required to ensure the app is accessible and fully functional upon the device’s first boot-up, without any limitations. They have been given 90 days for implementation and 120 days for reporting compliance. Furthermore, efforts will be made to deliver the Sanchar Saathi app to existing devices through software updates. The app provides vital services such as checking mobile handset authenticity via IMEI, reporting suspicious communications, registering lost or stolen phones, and accessing trusted financial institution contacts. This proactive measure addresses concerns about app-based services being misused without a physical SIM card, a loophole exploited for cybercrimes.
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