India’s telecoms ministry has quietly directed all major smartphone manufacturers to preload a government-run cybersecurity app on every new device sold in the country, a move that is expected to trigger friction with Apple and other global brands. The unpublished order, dated Nov. 28 and seen by Reuters, mandates that companies ensure the Sanchar Saathi app comes pre-installed on all new smartphones within 90 days and cannot be removed by users.
The directive lands in one of the world’s largest mobile markets, home to more than 1.2 billion subscribers. Since its launch in January, the state-owned app has been positioned as a powerful tool against telecom-related crime. Government figures cited in the order claim the platform has helped users recover more than 700,000 lost or stolen phones, including around 50,000 in October alone.
Apple, which has a long-standing policy against loading any government or third-party apps onto iPhones before sale, is among the manufacturers directly affected by the mandate. Other companies bound by the requirement include Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi. Apple previously clashed with India’s telecom regulator over a government-developed anti-spam app, and a source familiar with the company’s internal rules said its stance on pre-installation has not changed.
Neither Apple nor Samsung nor Xiaomi responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. India’s telecoms ministry also remained silent on the matter.
Industry unease is growing over the lack of consultation before the order was issued. Two executives from major smartphone firms, speaking anonymously, said companies were blindsided by the decision and are now scrambling to assess compliance hurdles. For devices already in distribution channels, the order requires manufacturers to push the app via a software update—another point of friction for brands that maintain strict control over system updates.
The government defends the move as necessary to combat what it calls a “serious endangerment” to telecom cybersecurity. Central to the concern is the misuse of IMEI numbers, the unique 14- to 17-digit identifiers assigned to every device. Officials say cloned or spoofed IMEIs have enabled widespread scams, fraud, and network abuse. Sanchar Saathi allows users to verify IMEIs, report suspicious activity, and block stolen devices through a centralized registry.
Authorities point to the app’s scale to justify the mandate: more than 5 million downloads, over 3.7 million stolen or lost phones blocked, and more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections terminated. The government argues that the platform helps prevent cyber threats, assists police investigations, and keeps counterfeit devices from circulating in the black market.
Still, the requirement that the app be permanently installed—even without user consent—sets up a likely clash with multinational smartphone makers, particularly Apple, whose ecosystem rules explicitly prohibit such interventions. As companies weigh the technical and policy implications, the coming months may determine whether India’s push for tighter cybersecurity can coexist with the operating principles of global tech giants, according to reporting from Reuters.
