The Indian government has mandated the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi application on all new mobile handsets sold in the country, a move it says is designed to protect consumers from counterfeit devices. However, the directive has ignited a fierce political debate, with the Congress party branding it an unconstitutional overreach that violates the fundamental right to privacy.
Government's Mandate for Consumer Protection
On November 28, 2025, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a formal direction under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules. The order compels all manufacturers and importers of mobile phones intended for the Indian market to pre-load the Sanchar Saathi app. The Union Ministry of Communication, in a statement dated December 1, clarified that the step aims to safeguard citizens from purchasing non-genuine handsets and enable easy reporting of suspected telecom resource misuse.
The ministry outlined a three-point mandate for the industry:
- Pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new handsets manufactured or imported for India.
- Ensure the app is visible and accessible during the first device setup, with its functions fully enabled.
- For devices already in the sales channel, manufacturers must endeavor to push the app via software updates.
The government has set an implementation deadline of 90 days, with a compliance report due within 120 days. Failure to comply will invite action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and related rules.
Congress Launches Scathing Attack
The directive faced immediate backlash from the principal opposition party. On December 1, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal slammed the order, demanding its immediate rollback. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he argued that the move is "beyond unconstitutional."
"The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution," Venugopal stated. He described a pre-loaded, uninstallable government app as a "dystopian tool to monitor every Indian," warning it could be used to surveil citizens' movements, interactions, and decisions.
Understanding the Sanchar Saathi Initiative
The government defends the mandate as a critical component of the broader Sanchar Saathi initiative, launched to curb cyber fraud and enhance telecom security. The portal and app allow users to:
- Verify a handset's genuineness using its IMEI number.
- Report suspected fraudulent communications or lost/stolen phones.
- Check mobile connections registered in their name.
- Access trusted contact details for banks and financial institutions.
The government highlighted the significant threat posed by duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which complicate law enforcement and endanger telecom cybersecurity. With a large second-hand market, stolen or blacklisted devices often get resold, making unwitting purchasers accomplices to crime and causing them financial loss.
The stage is now set for a contentious debate between the government's push for digital security and the opposition's staunch defense of civil liberties, with the mobile phone becoming the latest battleground for privacy rights in India.
