Every New Mobile in India Must Now Have Sanchar Saathi App: DoT Rule
Sanchar Saathi app now compulsory on all mobile devices in India. Users can verify IMEIs, report stolen phones, and prevent telecom fraud easily.
image for illustrative purpose
The Indian government has mandated that every mobile phone manufacturer and importer put the Sanchar Saathi app on their devices sold in the country within 90 days. This order which was given by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) includes both locally made and imported handsets.
In the DoT order, it is mentioned that during 90 days of issuance of the order, the Sanchar Saathi app must be pre-installed on every mobile device meant for use in India and it must be visible and fully operational during the initial device setup. Compliance is compulsory for manufacturers and importers and non-compliance may lead to penalties under the Telecommunications Act of 2023 and the Telecom Cyber Security Rules of 2024.
The Sanchar Saathi app created by DoT provides a facility to the users to check whether a mobile device is authentic or not through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Apart from that, it helps by providing tools for reporting lost or stolen phones, fraudulent communications, and checking mobile connections that might be in the user’s name. Further, users can also get access to the contact details of banks and financial institutions through this app.
This move is meant to resolve the issue arising from the use of duplicate IMEIs and blacklisted devices through which multiple devices can be activated at the same time thus making it very difficult to eradicate telecom fraud. There are cases in the second-hand mobile market in India wherein stolen or blacklisted handsets being sold, causing financial loss and legal issues for the customers. The app makes it possible to verify blocked IMEIs thus avoiding such misuse.
The Department of Telecommunications has reiterated that the app must always be functional and available to the public.
The telecom firms that do not comply with the new rule will be penalized as per the existing telecommunication laws.
The government has given app-based communication services, including WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram, a last-minute directive. The new rules stipulate that the mentioned apps must be associated with an active SIM card and that users must be logged out of the web versions every six hours at least, with re-login via QR code. Telecoms must make their compliance reports to the DoT every 120 days.
The DoT states that the November 28 directives are intended to eliminate the users' doubt about the authenticity of mobile devices, making the telecom misuse reporting system more user-friendly, and improving the Sanchar Saathi project overall by virtue of its being strengthened. The 90-day implementation period and 120-day compliance report submission apply to all manufacturers and service providers in India.
