New Delhi, December 01, 2025: In a bold move to shield consumers from counterfeit mobile devices and cyber threats, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued strict directives requiring all smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new handsets entering the Indian market.

The order, dated November 28 and announced via the Press Information Bureau (PIB) today, comes amid rising concerns over spoofed IMEI numbers, which fuel fraud, and a booming second-hand phone market rife with stolen goods.

The Sanchar Saathi initiative, launched by DoT to combat telecom resource misuse, empowers users to verify handset authenticity via IMEI checks, report suspicious calls or spam, track lost/stolen devices, and review connections linked to their name.

With over 50 lakh downloads since its January 2025 rollout, the app has already blocked 4.2 million lost phones and traced 2.6 million more, according to government data.

Now, embedding it directly into devices could supercharge these efforts, making fraud detection as simple as a first-time setup.

Under the Telecom Cyber Security (TCS) Rules, which empower the government to regulate equipment with IMEI identifiers, the directives target original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and OnePlus. Key requirements include:

Pre-installing the app on all handsets manufactured or imported for India, starting 90 days from November 28, effectively March 2026 onward.
Ensuring the app is prominently visible, fully functional, and non-disabling during initial device activation, with no restrictions on its features, such as IMEI verification or fraud reporting.
For existing stock in sales channels, push the app via over-the-air software updates as a best-effort measure.

Manufacturers must submit detailed compliance reports to DoT within 120 days, outlining implementation steps and timelines.

“This will safeguard citizens from non-genuine handsets, enable swift misuse reporting, and amplify Sanchar Saathi’s impact,” a DoT statement emphasized, highlighting how duplicate IMEIs allow the same device ID to operate across multiple phones, evading blocklists and enabling crimes.

The backdrop is alarming: Cyber frauds have cost Indians nearly ₹35,000 crore in the past three to four years, often tied to tampered devices resold in India’s vast grey market. Stolen or blocked phones, once reintroduced with spoofed IMEIs, not only aid criminals but also trap innocent buyers in legal and financial woes.

By mandating app access without OTP hurdles, unlike the web portal, DoT aims to shave precious seconds off response times in fraud alerts, where every moment counts.

Industry reactions are mixed.

While the move aligns with global efforts to integrate built-in security (think Google’s SafetyNet), some executives privately grumble about the lack of prior consultation, calling it “not practically implementable” for diverse ecosystems like iOS and Android.

App-based services like WhatsApp and Telegram face parallel scrutiny, with DoT’s November 28 orders demanding SIM-device binding within 90 days to plug verification loopholes.

For users, the app remains freely downloadable on both Android via Google Play and iOS via the App Store.

Trusted contacts for banks and financial institutions are also integrated, providing an additional layer of proactive defense.

As India races toward a 1.4 billion-strong digital economy, this pre-install mandate signals DoT’s zero-tolerance stance on telecom vulnerabilities.

With monthly recoveries hitting 50,000 devices last October, the real test will be enforcement: will OEMs comply seamlessly, or spark debates on user privacy and device freedom?

For now, it is a clear win for cybersecurity, turning every new phone into a frontline fraud fighter.