In a nutshell: Indian authorities and major smartphone makers are at odds over a state-backed security app aimed at curbing stolen and counterfeit phones. While Android brands continue to review the government's demands, Apple has already rejected New Delhi's request, raising questions about compliance, market share, and consumer choice.
Update (Dec 3): India has walked back its plan to force phone makers to bundle the government's Sanchar Saathi "security" app on new devices, following widespread backlash over privacy and surveillance concerns. The short-lived directive ordered phone makers to ship devices with the app permanently enabled. Critics warned the move undermined user rights, and reports indicated that both Apple and Samsung pushed back behind the scenes. Officials scrapped the requirement, now saying the app use is "voluntary."
The Indian government wants all major smartphone makers operating in the country to install a state-sponsored app for "security" purposes. Sources speaking with Reuters said India's telecom ministry privately pressed manufacturers to support the tool, which the sources described as behaving like persistent malware that users cannot easily remove.
New Delhi's Department of Telecommunications developed the app, called Sanchar Saathi, to block stolen phones and prevent IMEI spoofing. Authorities asked Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, and other smartphone makers to pre-install it as of November 28, giving them 90 days to comply.
The Indian government allegedly intends for the app to become a de facto security standard for all new mobile devices released in India. Authorities also require smartphone makers to install Sanchar Saathi so that end users cannot remove it. According to Mishi Choudhary, a lawyer dealing with digital rights and internet-related issues, the provision would effectively strip Indian consumers of their ability to choose for themselves.
India hosts one of the largest phone markets in the world, with 1.2 billion subscribers and all the major manufacturers fighting to increase their share of the pie. Stolen phones and IMEI counterfeits are a significant issue in the country, with authorities boasting the ability of Sanchar Saathi to help recover more than 700,000 lost devices since January 2025.
More than five million users have already chosen to download the app, which uses a central database to track lost or stolen smartphones. New Delhi's government says it has blocked over 3.7 million phones, helping law enforcement terminate 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
Despite being touted as a considerable security improvement for millions of mobile users, Sanchar Saathi remains a state-sponsored initiative likely to clash with corporate interests and users' rights. Apple has reportedly rejected New Delhi's request and does not plan to comply with the order.
India's telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the app is a "voluntary and democratic" tool that users can choose to activate or delete. New Delhi developers conceived Sanchar Saathi as an app to protect customers in one of the world's largest markets for second-hand devices, where sellers frequently resell stolen or "blacklisted" phones to unwary buyers.
Apple risks losing sales in India by rejecting the forced installation on its devices. However, it holds only about 4.5 percent of the 735 million smartphones active in the country, making it a calculated risk. Brands selling Android phones are reportedly still reviewing New Delhi's request, although Samsung declined to comment. If Samsung follows Apple's lead, New Delhi is more likely to back down than to risk losing one of the country's biggest suppliers.