India Orders Smartphone Makers to Preload Non-Removable Cybersecurity App, Ra

India’s telecoms ministry has quietly directed major smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a state-owned cybersecurity application, Sanchar Saathi, on all new devices, sparking alarm among privacy advocates and potentially setting up a new clash with Apple.

The directive, issued privately on November 28 and seen by Reuters, gives companies including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo 90 days to ensure that the app is preloaded on every new smartphone sold in the country. Crucially, the order states the app cannot be deleted or disabled by users.

Manufacturers were also told to push the app via software updates to phones already in the supply chain.

India’s move mirrors steps by other governments to combat cybercrime through mandated digitised tools. Russia, for instance, introduced a controversial requirement in August for phones to come preloaded with a state-backed messenger app, MAX.

Authorities in New Delhi say the escalation of digital fraud, device hacking, and the rampant use of stolen phones has made stronger intervention unavoidable.

Apple, which controls about 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, is expected to push back. The company has long resisted similar government attempts, including a previous tussle with India’s telecom regulator over an anti-spam app.

Apple’s internal policies explicitly prohibit the pre-installation of any government or third-party app on devices before sale, a source familiar with the company’s operations said.

“Apple has historically refused such requests from governments,” said Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint. “They might negotiate a compromise, perhaps an option to encourage users to install the app rather than a forced preload.”

Google, Samsung, Xiaomi and India’s telecom ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Critics say the mandate undermines user autonomy and raises serious questions about digital surveillance.

“The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” warned technology lawyer and internet policy specialist Mishi Choudhary.

Privacy groups similarly condemned Russia’s recent app mandate, arguing that such rules set dangerous precedents for state overreach.

India, one of the world’s largest mobile markets with 1.2 billion subscribers, launched the Sanchar Saathi app in January 2025 to help counter rampant smartphone theft and fraud.

The app allows users to:

• Block lost or stolen phones
• Track devices across all telecom networks
• Identify and cut off fraudulent SIM connections
• Verify IMEI numbers to prevent the circulation of cloned or spoofed devices

Government figures indicate significant results:

• 700,000+ lost phones recovered so far
• 50,000 recovered in October alone
• 3.7 million+ stolen or lost phones blocked
• 30 million+ fraudulent connections deactivated
• 5 million+ app downloads

Authorities say the tool is essential to tackling “serious endangerment” to national telecom security, especially from spoofed IMEIs used to commit fraud.

With the order not yet publicly announced, negotiations are expected behind closed doors—particularly with Apple, whose global approach to user privacy often clashes with government requirements.

The outcome could shape how India balances digital safety, data governance and individual privacy in an era of escalating cyber threats.

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