Understanding India's Sanchar Saathi: The Mandatory Cybersecurity App for All New Smartphones

Dec 02, 2025 12:52 pm CST

Sanchar Saathi, a comprehensive cybersecurity platform developed by India's Department of Telecommunications, is becoming mandatory on all new smartphones. This government initiative aims to protect over 1.2 billion mobile users from fraud, identity theft, and device theft, while offering features like suspicious activity reporting and IMEI blocking. Despite its security benefits, the mandate has created tension with manufacturers like Apple and raised privacy concerns among advocacy groups.