The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has declared a victory in the fight against mobile theft with its Sanchar Saathi initiative. The service, which is operated to help with recovering stolen mobile phones and provide other digital services, has facilitated the recovery of more than 600,000 lost and stolen handsets.
The announcement, released officially by the Ministry of Communications, highlights the “Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile Handset” feature as a huge success. The tool allows users to report, block, trace, or unblock devices across all Indian telecom networks, preventing misuse and enabling real-time tracking. Once a handset is reported missing, it is blocked on a pan-India basis, and automated traceability alerts are sent to both the user and relevant police stations via SMS.
This integration between DoT, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), and state/UT police has led to an increase in recovery rates, demonstrating the platform’s growing effectiveness.
Sanchar Saathi helped recover 6 lakh stolen/lost devices
Built on the principle of ‘Digital by Design,’ Sanchar Saathi operates as both a web portal and mobile app. Monthly recoveries have reportedly surged by 61 per cent from January (28,115 devices) to August (45,306 devices) this year, reflecting better collaboration and improved public trust in digital governance.
Launched in 2023, Sanchar Saathi includes features like:
– Chakshu for reporting fraud and spam communications
– CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) for blocking stolen devices using IMEI numbers,
– TAFCOP to check and manage mobile connections registered in one’s name (limited to 9 per person in most regions)
– KYM to verify handset genuineness.
Additional tools allow reporting of spoofed international calls, searching for wireline ISPs, and accessing trusted contact details for banks to prevent fraud. The platform also promotes awareness on telecom security, radiation from towers, and cyber threats.
How to report stolen/lost mobile phone on Sanchar Saathi
– To use the lost/stolen feature, users must file a police report at the nearest police station.
– They then need to obtain a duplicate SIM and submit identity proof along with the purchase invoice on the portal or app.
– Blocking occurs within 24 hours, and unblocking follows a similar process once the device is found.
The app has garnered over 80 lakh downloads on Google Play Store and 7.4 lakh on the App Store, indicating widespread adoption.
