India’s smartphones industry is pushing back against the government’s mandate to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cyber safety app on all mobile phones sold in the country, with multiple manufacturers raising privacy and operational concerns, CNBC-TV18 reported, citing industry sources.
Industry says no consultation before directive
According to CNBC-TV18, industry players across smartphone brands have opposed the directive and are expected to raise concerns with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Sources told the channel that there was no prior consultation, feedback process or industry-level discussion before the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued the order.
Manufacturers also pointed to CNBC-TV18 that companies such as Apple, Samsung and Google do not have a history of preloading government-developed apps. Under the government’s own Allocation of Business Rules, mobile phones fall under MeitY, and the ministry was not consulted before the directive was announced.
Manufacturers fear export disruption
The industry also warned that the mandate could disrupt mobile exports, since devices sold in India would need a different configuration from export units. Executives told CNBC-TV18 that the move sets a troubling precedent, potentially encouraging other ministries or departments to issue similar pre-installation directives.
As per the report, in a detailed statement, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) criticised the DoT’s direction as “a sharp and deeply worrying expansion of executive control over personal digital devices.” It said that while curbing IMEI fraud is a valid goal, the method chosen is “disproportionate, legally fragile, and structurally hostile to user privacy and autonomy.”
IFF flagged Clause 7(b), which requires the app to remain visible and prevents disabling any of its functions, noting that this effectively turns every smartphone into a “vessel for state-mandated software” that users cannot refuse or remove. The group warned that a non-removable app with elevated access could become a permanent, non-consensual entry point into users’ devices.
It added that the order does not pass the proportionality test laid out in the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgement, especially when less intrusive verification options, such as the Sanchar Saathi web portal, SMS KYM checks and USSD codes, already exist.
IFF also criticised the order’s vague references to “telecom cyber security,” warning that unclear boundaries could open the door to future expansion, including potential client-side scanning or deeper data correlation, the report added. The organisation said it has filed an RTI seeking the full text of the order and its justification.
What the mandate requires
Under the DoT’s order, Sanchar Saathi must appear on the device from the moment it is switched on, cannot be disabled, hidden or restricted, and must be integrated into the first-time setup. Manufacturers have 120 days to submit compliance reports.
