Launched in January 2025 to enhance transparent and secure mobile services
Sanchar Saathi: A Timely Response to India’s Growing Cyber Crimes
With over a billion subscribers, India has emerged as the world’s second-largest telecom ecosystem. Mobile phones now serve as critical gateways to banking, entertainment, e-learning, healthcare, and government services, making mobile security more important than ever.
Rising cyber threats have made safeguarding mobile users a pressing national concern. According to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), cybercrime incidents surged from 15,92,917 in 2023 to 20,41,360 in 2024. Digital Arrest Scams and related cybercrimes reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal alone totalled 1,23,672 in 2024, with 17,718 cases already reported by February 2025.
In response to these escalating threats, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced the Sanchar Saathi mobile app—a citizen-centric tool that brings robust security features and fraud-reporting capabilities directly to users’ smartphones. The app complements the existing Sanchar Saathi portal by providing convenient, on-the-go protection against identity theft, forged KYC, device theft, banking fraud, and other cyber risks. To strengthen the initiative, the Department of Telecommunications has issued Directions on November 28, 2025, mandating mobile manufacturers and importers to facilitate the availability and accessibility of the Sanchar Saathi app on devices for users in India.
A Citizen-First, Privacy-Safe Platform
Sanchar Saathi app puts citizens first and protects their privacy at every step. It works only with user’s consent and gives full control over its activation and use.
Activates only after user chooses to register
User may activate, deactivate, or delete it any time
Designed to strengthen India’s cybersecurity without compromising privacy
Sanchar Saathi: Impact and Tangible Results
Sanchar Saathi has shown clear and consistent impact since its launch. The platform has strengthened user safety and reduced digital fraud across the country.
Key achievements of the platform include:
Over 21.5 crore visits to the portal (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/)
More than 1.4 crore app downloads
Over 42 lakh stolen/lost mobile devices have been successfully blocked
1.43 crore+ mobile connections disconnected after citizens marked them as “Not My Number”
26 lakh lost or stolen phones traced, with 7.23 lakh returned to their owners
40.96 lakh fraudulent connections removed following citizen reports
6.2 lakh fraud-linked IMEIs (International Mobile Equipment Identity) blocked
Financial Fraud Risk Indicator prevented losses worth ₹475 crore
Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has developed the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), a risk-based metric that classifies mobile numbers as Medium, High, or Very High risk of financial fraud. FRI helps banks, NBFCs, and UPI service providers prioritise enforcement and take extra customer protection measures for high-risk numbers.
Building on these achievements, the initiative has further curtailed telecom fraud through targeted actions, delivering tangible results across multiple platforms. More than 3 crore fraudulent mobile connections have been terminated, 3.19 lakh devices blocked, 16.97 lakh WhatsApp accounts disabled, and over 20,000 bulk SMS senders were blacklisted, significantly curbing telecom-related fraud and enhancing user security across the country.
By empowering citizens with easy-to-use tools and real-time access to vital security features, the Sanchar Saathi mobile app represents a timely and effective response to India’s growing cybercrime challenges.
The application is available in Hindi and 21 other regional languages, making it inclusive and accessible across the country. Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the app has already crossed 1.4 crore downloads since its launch.
Citizen-centric services offered by Sanchar Saathi
The Sanchar Saathi mobile app brings all citizen-centric services of the portal directly to users’ smartphones, including security, verification, and fraud-reporting features.
Sanchar Saathi has the following features –
Chakshu – Enables users to report suspected fraud communications via calls, SMS, or WhatsApp – especially KYC-updating scams. This proactive reporting tool helps the DoT monitor and act swiftly on forged KYC and identity-theft cases, and encourages citizens to report unsolicited commercial communication (UCC).
IMEI Tracking and Blocking – Allows tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones anywhere in India. It assists police authorities in tracing stolen or lost devices, prevents counterfeit phones from entering the black market, and blocks attempts at device cloning.
Another important feature is – the option to verify the number of mobile connections. If any suspicious connections—potentially created using forged KYC details—are found, users can report and block them immediately.
Know Your Mobile Handset’s Genuineness– offers an easy way to verify whether a purchased mobile device is genuine.
Reporting of International Calls with Indian numbers – Allows citizens to report international calls disguised as domestic calls from numbers starting with +91 (10 digits after the country code). Such calls originate from illegal telecom setups abroad.
Know your Internet Service Provider – Lets users check details of wireline Internet Service Providers across India by entering a PIN code, address, or ISP name.
This initiative strengthens telecom security by empowering citizens to secure their digital identities and combat telecom fraud. Sanchar Saathi also supports enforcement of TRAI’s Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) by enabling users to report spam and fraudulent calls and messages at the click of a button.
Cybercrime is “any unlawful act where computer, communication device or the computer network is used to commit or facilitate the commission of crime”.
User Empowerment
The Sanchar Saathi initiative exemplifies Jan Bhagidari—people’s participation in governance. User reports play a crucial role in preventing misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime and financial fraud. The DoT continues to act swiftly on these reports, and status dashboards on the portal ensure public transparency.
Privacy and Security
The app is designed to strengthen telecom security while protecting user data and privacy. It complies with the Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act), India’s primary law governing cybercrime, e-commerce, secure transmission, and data privacy. This legal framework defines and penalizes offenses such as hacking and data theft.
Sanchar Saathi prioritizes user privacy and collects only the minimum personal information necessary to provide services. The platform does not create profiles for commercial marketing, nor does it share user data with third parties. Data sharing is strictly limited to law enforcement when legally required, ensuring protection against unauthorized access and misuse of data.
The platform’s privacy practices align with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDP Act), which emphasizes individual control, transparency, and accountability. Sanchar Saathi limits data collection to legitimate purposes, minimizes data capture, and implements clear consent mechanisms.
Conclusion
The Sanchar Saathi App has emerged as a powerful tool for securing India’s growing telecom ecosystem. By integrating services like blocking lost devices, reporting fraud, verifying mobile connections, and safeguarding user privacy, it empowers citizens to protect their digital identity with ease. Its wide language availability, alignment with cyber laws, and strong privacy safeguards make it both inclusive and trustworthy. As adoption continues to rise, Sanchar Saathi is not just reducing telecom fraud; it is reinforcing digital confidence and shaping a safer, citizen-centric future for India’s mobile users.
