India’s telecom ministry has quietly issued a private directive instructing the world’s major smartphone makers to preload all new devices sold in the country with a government-operated cybersecurity app that cannot be deleted, according to a November 28 order reviewed by Reuters.
The move signals a new phase in New Delhi’s push to control digital fraud and clamp down on the runaway growth of cybercrime, but it also sets the stage for a confrontation with Apple and privacy advocates.
The directive requires companies, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo, to install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones within 90 days. The instruction also extends to devices already in the distribution pipeline, which must receive the app through software updates. None of this has been publicly announced, and the order was circulated privately to select manufacturers.
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Authorities argue that the measure is essential as the country faces a wave of digital scams, identity spoofing, and misuse of cloned IMEI numbers — the unique handset identifiers that allow police and telecom operators to cut off network access to stolen devices. Government officials say Sanchar Saathi has already helped recover more than 700,000 phones, including 50,000 in October, and has been instrumental in blocking millions of fraudulent connections.
India now has more than 1.2 billion telecom subscribers, giving the app a footprint that can shape one of the world’s largest mobile markets. The government says the tool is vital for policing duplicate IMEIs, tracing stolen devices, and preventing black market phone circulation.
The tension lies in how the app will be imposed. Users would not be allowed to delete or disable Sanchar Saathi under the ministry’s order, meaning every new device will ship with a permanent, non-removable state app — a decision that has alarmed privacy advocates. Mishi Choudhary, a prominent technology lawyer, called the order troubling because it takes away meaningful user choice.
India’s move mirrors regulatory shifts seen elsewhere. Russia recently required that its state-backed MAX messenger be pre-installed on new smartphones, a decision that drew criticism from digital rights groups who argued it strengthened government access to personal data. Similar concerns are now emerging in India, where the surveillance conversation already runs deep due to previous disputes over encryption, traceability, and data retention rules.
Apple sits at the center of the storm. While its share of India’s smartphone market is modest — about 4.5% of 735 million installed devices by mid-2025, according to Counterpoint Research — the company has historically resisted government demands to embed state apps into its operating system. Apple previously clashed with India’s telecom regulator over a government anti-spam app that it refused to allow onto iPhones until a compromise was reached.
Under Apple’s internal guidelines, no external app — whether government or third-party — is allowed to be preloaded on its devices before sale.
A source with direct knowledge of Apple’s policies confirmed that the company routinely turns down such government requests. Counterpoint analyst Tarun Pathak said Apple is likely to push for a negotiated alternative, such as displaying a prompt during setup that encourages users to download the app rather than forcing a permanent installation.
The Sanchar Saathi platform plays a central role in India’s anti-fraud framework. It connects to a national device registry and gives users the ability to block stolen phones, track their status across networks, and verify whether their SIM connections are genuine. Government data shows more than 5 million downloads and over 3.7 million blocked, stolen, or lost devices since the app’s January launch. Officials say the system has also been key to shutting down more than 30 million fraudulent mobile numbers tied to scams and identity theft.
India argues that the app strengthens national security and helps police trace criminal networks, but privacy advocates worry that the mandatory nature of the installation could expand state access to device-level data over time. The government insists the aim is to protect users, not monitor them, though the private manner in which the directive was issued is likely to intensify debate.
The next three months could determine how much sway global smartphone manufacturers still hold in one of their most important growth markets. Apple faces the biggest philosophical hurdle, given its longstanding stance on locked-down systems and user privacy. Android makers, who already pre-install a mix of Google, OEM, and partner apps, may find it less disruptive, but the non-removable requirement could still complicate device certification and regional software builds.
For now, the industry is waiting for the first round of closed-door talks between manufacturers and the ministry. With cybercrime rising fast and elections never far away in India, the government has a strong political incentive to push ahead.