India’s Source Code Demand Sparks Tech Revolt

India’s Make in India push has collided with a government proposal that would force smartphone makers to surrender proprietary source code for government testing, a move that has sparked a fierce backlash across the tech sector. According to Reuters, the draft security mandate comprises 83 stringent requirements, with the most contentious clause demanding that manufacturers provide source code for examination by government-designated laboratories to identify latent vulnerabilities.

The Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has said the proposal is utterly untenable, arguing that source code is critical intellectual property and that handing it to a third party would create a major security liability. MeitY has issued a rebuttal, stating the proposal is in a consultative phase and denying that it seeks source code, while recognising ongoing dialogue with technology giants.

Industry figures warn that any bureaucratic delay to security patches could prolong user exposure to threats, and the debate highlights a tension between luring Apple and Samsung to expand local manufacturing and pursuing regulatory measures seen as intrusive.