DoT Makes Sanchar Saathi App Mandatory on All Mobile Phones Sold in India

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed all mobile handset manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi application on devices sold in India, in a move aimed at strengthening telecom cyber security and helping users verify the authenticity of mobile phones before purchase.

The directive, issued on 28 November under the Telecom Cyber Security (TCS) Rules, requires the Sanchar Saathi app to be visible, functional and enabled when a user powers on a new device for the first time. Manufacturers must ensure the app is easily accessible during the device setup process and cannot be disabled or restricted in any form.

The DoT has given companies 90 days to implement the mandate and 120 days to submit a compliance report. For devices already manufactured or currently in sales channels, companies are expected to make “all possible efforts” to push the app through software updates.

A Push to Curb Fraud and Protect Mobile Buyers

The move comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of duplicate, spoofed and tampered International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers—an issue that has complicated law-enforcement efforts and exposed consumers to fraud. Spoofed IMEIs can appear active on multiple devices simultaneously, undermining traceability and enabling misuse of telecom resources, including cyber-fraud operations.

The DoT noted that India’s large second-hand mobile market has also seen cases where stolen or blacklisted handsets are resold to unsuspecting buyers, leaving them vulnerable to financial loss or inadvertently complicit in criminal activity.

What Sanchar Saathi Offers

The Sanchar Saathi initiative—developed by the DoT—provides a suite of tools designed to help citizens safeguard their mobile identities and telecom resources. Through the app and portal, users can:

• Verify the genuineness of a mobile handset using its IMEI number

• Report suspected fraud communications

• Block or track lost and stolen phones

• Check how many mobile connections are registered in their name

• Access trusted contact details of banks and financial institutions

Under the TCS Rules, the government is empowered to issue directives to telecom equipment manufacturers in relation to tampered devices or IMEI misuse. The new mandate extends that responsibility further, requiring manufacturers and importers to ensure full compliance with government instructions on securing telecom networks.

Strengthening Telecom Cyber Security

The DoT emphasised that pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app will enable citizens to easily validate devices and quickly report irregularities, thereby improving the effectiveness of national efforts to curb cyber fraud and misuse of telecom infrastructure.

With India continuing to battle rising cyber-enabled scams and illegal mobile reselling networks, the mandatory deployment of Sanchar Saathi marks a significant regulatory step toward securing the mobile ecosystem for over a billion users.