Policy U-Turn: India Drops Mandatory Sanchar Saathi App After Fierce Opposition

On 4 December 2025, India reversed its decision to require pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on smartphones after fierce opposition from global tech firms and domestic political forces. The Ministry of Communications said the policy U-turn was driven by the app’s “strong voluntary adoption,” with officials noting more than 14 million users had already downloaded the application, about 1% of India's population.

Observers say the reversal was spurred largely by opposition from major smartphone makers, including Apple and Samsung, and rising political pressure. Reuters previously reported that Apple refused to comply with the pre-installation order on privacy and security grounds, with Samsung following suit.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation welcomed the rollback, while privacy advocates highlighted the app’s access to calls, messages, and device data as a concern, despite Sanchar Saathi being marketed as an anti-fraud and device-tracking tool. The app will now remain strictly optional rather than compulsory.