Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, has announced significant milestones for the government's Sanchar Saathi portal, highlighting a surge in public trust and adoption. In a post on social media platform X on December 2, 2025, the minister shared data underscoring the app's role in combating telecom-related cybercrime.
Sanchar Saathi's Impact: Key Numbers Revealed
Minister Scindia's update provided concrete figures on the portal's reach and effectiveness. The Sanchar Saathi portal has been used by over 20 crore (200 million) people since its inception. Out of these, more than 1.5 crore users have engaged with the platform specifically through its mobile application.
The initiative's direct action against fraud is evident in the numbers. Over 1.43 crore mobile numbers have been disconnected after citizens used the "Not My Number" feature to report unauthorized connections. Furthermore, the minister stated that 40.96 lakh fraudulent mobile connections have been identified and disconnected through the system's mechanisms.
Recovery and Blocking: Tracing Phones and IMEI Numbers
Beyond disconnections, the platform has aided in the recovery of lost devices and the blocking of hardware used for illicit activities. According to Scindia's post, 26 lakh mobile phones have been traced using the portal's capabilities. Of these, a notable 7.23 lakh handsets have been successfully returned to their rightful owners.
To cripple fraud operations at a device level, the authorities have also blocked 6.2 lakh fraud-linked IMEI numbers. Blocking an IMEI renders a mobile handset unusable on any network in India, preventing its reuse for criminal purposes.
App Features, Privacy, and the Voluntary Principle
Sanchar Saathi is a central government application designed to protect citizens from telecom and online fraud. Key features include the ability to block lost or stolen phones across all Indian networks and the 'Chakshu' facility for reporting suspicious calls, SMS, or WhatsApp messages.
The app, available on iOS and Android, requires permissions for call logs, SMS, camera, and notifications to function fully. However, Minister Scindia emphasized the voluntary nature of the system. Users can freely choose to install, use, or delete the app at any time. "This is a completely voluntary and democratic system," he stated in his post, framing it as a customer-centric security tool.
Despite its stated aims, the app has faced criticism from opposition parties, particularly regarding a directive for mobile companies to pre-install it. They have raised concerns about potential surveillance, calling it a 'dystopian' tool.
Scindia, however, positioned the initiative as a major step forward. "This initiative is a significant step towards strengthening protection, transparency, and a customer-first approach," he said, linking the growing user base directly to increasing public trust in the government's fraud crackdown efforts.
