BENGALURU: India’s quiet directive to smartphone makers to pre-install a government cyber-security app has set off a collision between the country’s expanding digital-security ambitions and long-standing industry resistance to mandated software thrusting Apple, privacy advocates and regulators into a tense standoff over control of the modern mobile device.
A Quiet Order With Sweeping Implications
India’s telecom ministry has privately instructed major smartphone manufacturers to preload all new devices with Sanchar Saathi, a state-owned cyber-security and anti-fraud app that cannot be removed, according to an order circulated to select companies. The move, delivered discreetly and without public announcement, marks the government’s most aggressive step yet to curb a surge in smartphone-related fraud, hacking and identity theft.
The directive gives companies 90 days to comply for new units leaving factory lines; for devices already circulating through supply chains, manufacturers are expected to push the app through software updates. The requirement would effectively standardize the tool across one of the world’s largest phone markets, home to more than 735 million smartphone users.
Officials say the measure is essential to protect consumers against scams fueled by spoofed or duplicated IMEI numbers the 14- to 17-digit identifiers that allow telecom networks to authenticate devices. The app connects to a central registry enabling users to block stolen phones, trace lost devices and disconnect fraudulent connections. Since its launch in January, the government says, it has helped block over 3.7 million stolen or lost phones and shut down more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
A Clash With Apple’s Long-Standing Policies
While most Android manufacturers have stayed silent, Apple which has historically rejected government demands to preload software appears poised for confrontation. The company’s internal policies prohibit adding any government or third-party apps prior to sale, according to an industry source familiar with the matter.
Apple devices account for only 4.5% of India’s smartphone base, but the company’s influence in global debates over secure ecosystems and user control is disproportionately large. The company has previously sparred with Indian regulators over anti-spam tools, arguing that mandated apps could compromise the integrity of iOS. Industry analysts say the government may ultimately soften the requirement for Apple, perhaps by allowing optional installation prompts rather than a fully embedded app.
“They might negotiate a middle ground,” one researcher said. “Instead of a mandatory pre-install, they may settle for a nudge.”
Privacy Advocates Warn of Eroding Consent
Civil-society groups were quick to flag alarms. Mandating an unremovable app, they argue, risks normalizing intrusive digital infrastructure and places India alongside countries like Russia, which recently ordered the pre-installation of a state-backed messaging app on smartphones.
“The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, a lawyer specializing in technology rights.
Critics worry that expanding the technical authority embedded in a required app even one initially designed for anti-fraud purposes could enable broader surveillance capabilities in the future.
The telecom ministry has not publicly commented on these concerns, nor has it released the order in full. Its restrained communication has only intensified unease among privacy advocates who fear the policy may extend beyond the stated aim of reducing cyber fraud.
A Global Trend And An Uncertain Road Ahead
India’s move reflects a growing global pattern: governments seeking to embed digital tools directly into the devices that power daily life. Russia, several Gulf nations and parts of Southeast Asia have implemented similar rules, citing cybersecurity and crime prevention.
But India occupies a unique position — a vast, fast-digitizing democracy attempting to balance security imperatives with a constitutional commitment to privacy. The Sanchar Saathi app has undeniable utility: police credit it with recovering more than 700,000 lost or stolen phones this year alone, including 50,000 in October.
Still, with manufacturers bound by the new order and users unable to delete the app, the debate now sits at the intersection of consumer rights, corporate autonomy and state authority. How India navigates that tension and whether Apple or other global firms push back may shape the next phase of the country’s rapidly evolving digital governance.
