Indian government drops proposal for сompulsory Sanchar Saathi preload

The Indian government has abandoned its proposal to force smartphone manufacturers to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi app, a tool designed to help track stolen mobile devices.

The final decision was announced in the evening, just days after the initiative drew criticism and began to soften.

Initially, the plan required smartphone vendors to preinstall the app within 90 days starting 28 November and implement mechanisms preventing users from deleting it. Authorities later said the app would be removable, but that did little to quell public backlash.

Opposition parties and major smartphone makers pushed back against the proposal. Apple and Samsung refused to ship devices in India with the app preloaded, significantly undermining the initiative.

In the end, India’s Ministry of Communications confirmed that the mandatory requirement is being scrapped. The ministry said such measures are unnecessary, claiming that users are already downloading Sanchar Saathi voluntarily. According to government figures, the app, launched earlier this year, has been installed around 600,000 times. Officials also stressed that it has passed security reviews and is focused on combating mobile phone theft.