It is impossible to run away if a mobile is stolen... Government control over new phones

A major change may soon be implemented for all new smartphones sold in India. The central government is considering making its ‘Sanchar Saathi’ application mandatory and pre-installed on every new mobile device. According to national media reports, these guidelines may come into effect within the next 90 days.

Users may not be able to disable or uninstall this app. The government developed Sanchar Saathi to combat mobile theft, counterfeit phones, and cyber fraud effectively.

Government data indicates that since January this year, more than 7 lakh stolen mobile phones were identified and returned to owners through this application with the help of state police. Until now, only a few government apps like Aarogya Setu, DigiLocker, and Umang were pre-installed on some devices. Making Sanchar Saathi compulsory for all phones marks a stricter regulatory step in the ecosystem of government digital services.

The proposal has sparked wide discussion on social media.