India’s telecom ministry has directed major smartphone makers to preload all new devices with a government cyber security app that cannot be removed, according to a private order dated 28 November seen by Reuters. The move signals a more forceful approach to fighting digital fraud across one of the world’s biggest mobile markets, but is expected to create tension with Apple and long-standing privacy advocates.
The order gives manufacturers 90 days to install the Sanchar Saathi app on every new handset sold in India. For phones already produced but not yet in customers’ hands, companies must add the app through a software update. The directive was circulated quietly to several leading brands and has not been released publicly.
If enforced as written, the requirement places particular pressure on Apple, which prohibits preloading any government or third-party software on its devices before sale. A person with direct knowledge of Apple’s internal rules said the company has consistently rejected similar requests. Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint, echoed that view, noting that “Apple has historically refused such requests from governments.”
India is one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets, though its presence remains small. iPhones accounted for roughly 4.5% of India’s estimated 735 million smartphones by mid-2025, according to Counterpoint Research. Most other brands affected by the order — including Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo — use Android, which already allows a wider range of system-level apps.
The telecom ministry said the mandatory installation is necessary to tackle what it described as a “serious endangerment” to telecom security, pointing to cases involving spoofed or duplicate IMEI numbers used in scams and network abuse. The Sanchar Saathi platform, launched in January, helps block stolen phones and recover missing devices. Government figures show more than 700,000 devices have been traced through the app, including about 50,000 in October alone.
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Authorities worldwide have introduced similar measures as cyber crime escalates. Russia issued a requirement in August mandating the MAX messenger app be pre-installed on new phones, a move that was criticised by rights groups for undermining digital autonomy.
Technology lawyer Mishi Choudhary said the Indian order threatens meaningful user choice. “The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful option,” she said, warning that compulsory software raises deeper questions about data governance and surveillance risks.
Advocacy groups have already raised concerns about India’s growing use of mandatory digital tools, noting the country’s vast user base — more than 1.2 billion mobile subscribers — gives any such rule enormous reach.
With implementation deadlines now set, manufacturers are expected to seek clarity from the government, while privacy campaigners prepare for a renewed debate over digital rights.