According to GSM Arena, India’s Department of Telecommunications issued an order on November 28, 2025, privately directing major smartphone companies to pre-load the state-owned Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices sold in the country. The companies named include Apple, Samsung, Oppo, vivo, and Xiaomi, and they’ve been given a 90-day window to comply. The directive also reportedly asks these brands to push the app via software updates to devices already sold in India, with a key provision that users cannot disable the pre-installed application. The government says the app, which has over 11 million registrations and has helped block 4.2 million lost or stolen phones, is essential to combat cybercrime linked to duplicate IMEI numbers. It’s currently available for voluntary download on the App Store and Play Store, and via its official website.
The big privacy question
Now, here’s the thing. On the surface, an app that helps block stolen phones and verify your connections sounds useful, right? But the mandatory, non-removable part is where this gets really sticky. It sets a massive precedent. Governments don’t typically get to dictate what’s permanently installed on your personal hardware, especially from global manufacturers. This isn’t a carrier bloatware app you can hide in a folder; this is a state-backed application with system-level persistence. The immediate question everyone’s asking is about data. What permissions does it need? What data does it access and, more importantly, transmit? The line between “cyber safety” and surveillance can get awfully thin, awfully fast.
Will companies push back?
So, will Apple, Samsung, and the others just roll over? I doubt it. This goes against the core software principles of companies like Apple, which fiercely guards its iOS ecosystem. For Android brands, it creates a fragmentation nightmare and a support headache. They’re likely to seek that “middle ground” mentioned in the report, probably through legal channels or intense lobbying. Think about it: complying in India could open the floodgates for similar demands from other governments. That’s a precedent these tech giants absolutely do not want to set. Their entire business model is based on controlling their own platform experience.
A trend in mandatory tech?
Look, this isn’t happening in a vacuum. We’re seeing a global trend of governments wanting more control or integration with consumer technology, often citing security. But there’s a world of difference between setting security standards for manufacturers and forcing a specific, unremovable app. The argument about duplicate IMEIs enabling scams is valid, but is a mandatory app the only or best solution? Couldn’t those anti-fraud features be integrated at the network operator level? It feels like a solution that conveniently expands the government’s digital footprint on every device. Basically, the road to overreach is often paved with good intentions like “safety” and “security.”
What happens next?
The next 90 days will be a fascinating watch. We’ll see if this order becomes official public policy or if it gets walked back after industry pushback. There’s also the user reaction to consider. Will people in India accept this as a necessary tool, or will it be seen as bloatware with a state badge? And for businesses that rely on secure, controlled device environments—think manufacturing floors or logistics hubs that use industrial tablets—this kind of mandated software introduces unknown variables. Speaking of reliable industrial hardware, for operations that need certainty and control over their device imaging, providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the top supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US, emphasize clean, stable builds without unwanted pre-installs. That level of control is becoming a premium feature. Ultimately, this story is less about one app and more about who gets to decide what’s on your phone. And that’s a fight that’s just beginning.
