India has backed away from plans to force smartphone makers to install government apps on all devices, following a backlash and Concerns that the order would expand state access to user devices and privacy protections.
On Wednesday, India’s Ministry of Telecom said Sanchar Saathi, the Anti-Theft and Cycle Protection application, will remain voluntary, and smartphone manufacturers will no longer be required to disconnect the devices they sell.
The new news effectively reverses the directive issued to manufacturers last week (and compiled online on Monday) which has instructed to make applications to all devices and prevent features from being disabled. The fast-paced news stories are fueling concerns over privacy and nationalism.
“Given the acceptance of Sanchar Saathi, the Government has decided to avoid pre-installation for mobile manufacturers,” said the Minister.
However, the government has not yet issued an official notice to smartphone manufacturers outlining the withdrawal of spending, and manufacturers are still awaiting official instructions, two manufacturing sources involved in the process told Techcrunch.
Since its launch in January 2025, Sanchar Saathi has been downloaded 14 million times, and contributes information on approximately 2000 cyber fraud incidents per day, according to the Indian government. Contactyvery recently increased interest in the platform, and the ministry recorded about 600,000 people who downloaded the app on December 2 alone.
The Telecom Minister’s announcement follows confusion over whether the app is voluntary, as the government claims. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has insisted Before this week, users could delete Sanchar Saathi at any time, although the director among the producers stated that the functionality of the app “should not be disabled.”
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Cyntric conflict signals that critics recognize that the government is trying to bring down the collapse. Critics warn that forcing government apps onto every smartphone, and preventing features from being disabled would give users too much visibility into their devices.
The directive has also worried the industry, with manufacturers privately questioning the implementation of system-level applications without legal backing.
Deputy Minister of Broadcasting Pemekom Chmasani CHANDRA SEKMAR said In media interviews that Apple did not participate in the working group for the initiative, although other smartphone manufacturers.
Sanchar Saathi had more than 3 million monthly active users in November, according to the Sensor Marketing Intelligence Tower. Web traffic to Sanchar Saathi has also been sitting, with monthly unique visitors increasing more than 49% year-over-year, per the censor tower.
Internet Freedom Foundation, a new Delhi-based digital rights group, called it a “welcome development,” however call for cautionNATING IN ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING ING IN COLOR. The group added “cautious optimism, not closure,” it said until changes in cyber security rules, 2024, are published and independently verified.
Other parts of the Sanchar Saathistem ecosystem continue to expand. The recommendation and trade platform is still required to confirm the device through the Iman Tengah database, and the telecommunications ministry also chooses a company that can send the information to send customer information and devices directly to the country.