India today hosts the world’s second-largest telecom ecosystem, with over a billion mobile subscribers. Phones have become gateways to banking, healthcare, education, entertainment, and governance. But this digital expansion has also intensified cyber vulnerabilities. As per CERT-In, cybercrime cases rose from 15.9 lakh (2023) to 20.4 lakh (2024); digital arrest scams alone registered 1.23 lakh cases in 2024, with 17,718 cases reported by Feb 2025.
In response, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched the Sanchar Saathi platform and mobile app, a comprehensive citizen-centric digital safety ecosystem.
1. Context & Rationale (Why Needed?)
Growing cyber threats
Increasing SIM-based frauds, phishing, OTP compromise, UPI scams, device cloning, forged KYC.
Rise of Digital Arrest Scams and illegal call routing.
Proliferation of cloned IMEIs and black-market devices.
National security dimension
SIM-based identity theft used in terror financing, fake accounts, impersonation, and cross-border fraud.
Economic dimension
Telecom-linked financial frauds cause thousands of crores in annual losses.
FRI (Financial Fraud Risk Indicator) alone helped prevent ₹475 crore losses.
2. Government Response: Sanchar Saathi App & Portal
The Sanchar Saathi ecosystem includes:
Portal: https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/
Mobile App: Available on Android & iOS in Hindi + 21 Indian languages
New DoT Directions (28 Nov 2025): Mandatory availability and accessibility of the app by mobile manufacturers/importers.
Key Achievements
| Indicator |
Value |
| Portal visits |
21.5 crore+ |
| App downloads |
1.4 crore+ |
| Stolen/lost phones blocked |
42 lakh+ |
| Connections disconnected (“Not My Number”) |
1.43 crore+ |
| Phones traced |
26 lakh, with 7.23 lakh returned |
| Fraudulent connections removed |
40.96 lakh |
| Fraud-linked IMEIs blocked |
6.2 lakh |
| Fraud prevented via FRI |
₹475 crore |
| WhatsApp accounts disabled |
16.97 lakh |
| Devices blocked |
3.19 lakh |
| Fraudulent mobile connections terminated |
3 crore+ |
| Bulk SMS senders blacklisted |
20,000+
|
Key Features of Sanchar Saathi App
| Dimension |
Feature |
Description / Functions |
| A. Cyber Security Dimension |
1. Chakshu |
• Report suspected fraud via calls/SMS/WhatsApp.
• Helps DoT detect KYC fraud, spoofing & digital arrest scams.
• Supports TRAI’s TCCCPR framework for spam control. |
|
2. Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) |
• Classifies numbers into Medium / High / Very High fraud risk.
• Used by banks, NBFCs & UPI platforms to secure financial transactions. |
| B. Law Enforcement Dimension |
3. IMEI Tracking & Blocking |
• Allows blocking of stolen/lost phones pan-India.
• Helps police recover devices and prevent cloned/duplicate IMEIs. |
|
4. Reporting of International Calls with Indian Numbers |
• Citizens can report international scam calls using +91 numbers.
• Enables action against illegal VoIP gateways operating abroad. |
| C. User Verification & Privacy Dimension |
5. Know Your Mobile Connections |
• Shows all active SIMs issued under user’s ID.
• Allows reporting of unknown/forged-KYC SIMs. |
|
6. Check Mobile Handset Genuineness |
• Verify IMEI authenticity before or after purchase. |
|
7. Know Your ISP |
• Provides details of available wireline ISPs using PIN code or address. |
Legal & Policy Dimensions
A. Information Technology Act, 2000
Governs cybercrime, secure data transmission, hacking, identity theft.
Sanchar Saathi assists enforcement and reduces IT Act violations.
B. Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
Sanchar Saathi follows:
Data minimization
Purpose limitation
Clear consent
No data sharing for marketing
Law-enforcement-only access
C. TRAI Regulations (TCCCPR)
Enables reporting of spam/harassing calls and SMS.
Strengthens consumer rights under telecom laws.
Social & Economic Dimensions
A. Social Trust: Enhances public confidence in digital services and online financial operations.
B. Inclusion: Availability in 22 Indian languages ensures accessibility for rural and semi-urban citizens.
C. Digital Economy: Protects the ₹8 lakh crore digital payment ecosystem. Secures online banking, Aadhaar-eKYC systems.
Challenges Ahead
1. Digital and Cyber Literacy Barriers: Low awareness in rural and semi-urban areas limits the effective use of Sanchar Saathi for reporting frauds or checking mobile connections. Users remain vulnerable to social engineering attacks due to inadequate understanding of cyber hygiene.
2. Evolving Fraud Techniques: SIM swapping, phishing, OTP theft, and fake KYC scams continue to adapt despite regulatory frameworks. Fraud networks increasingly use anonymisation tools and encrypted channels to evade detection.
3. Device Cloning and Hardware-Related Risks: Illegal cloning devices and imported hardware make it easier to duplicate or alter IMEIs. This compromises the reliability of IMEI-based tracking and complicates law-enforcement investigations.
4. Limited Cross-Platform Coordination: Lack of real-time integration with social media, messaging apps, fintech platforms, and OTT services delays action on scam accounts. Scammers quickly migrate between apps, creating multi-platform fraud networks that are hard to dismantle.
5. Rise of AI-Driven Cybercrime: Deepfakes, AI-generated voices, and synthetic video calls mimic trusted persons with high accuracy. AI-powered scams automate phishing at scale, making them harder to detect using traditional filters.
Way Forward
1. AI-Based Threat Detection: Use AI/ML tools to spot fraud patterns and trigger real-time alerts. Predict emerging scam hotspots for early intervention.
2. Strict SIM e-KYC Audit: Mandatory periodic audits to weed out forged-KYC SIMs. Penalise operators for verification lapses.
3. Integration with Cyber Crime Portal: One-click reporting from Sanchar Saathi for faster case registration. Unified dashboard for police, DoT, banks, and CERT-In.
4. Grassroots Awareness Campaigns: Panchayat-level digital safety drives through CSCs, SHGs, ASHAs. Simple, vernacular messaging on common scams and precautions.
5. Strong Cross-Border Cooperation: Deeper coordination with foreign regulators to shut VoIP scam centres. Faster information-sharing on international fraud networks.
Conclusion
The Sanchar Saathi App stands out as one of India’s most powerful digital public safety tools. By integrating fraud reporting (Chakshu), IMEI tracking, SIM verification, device genuineness checks, and FRI-based risk analysis—all within a privacy-protected framework—it empowers citizens to safeguard their digital identity.
Its inclusive multilingual design, strong legal compliance, and nationwide adoption are helping India reduce telecom fraud, enhance digital trust, and strengthen its cyber-resilient ecosystem.
Prelims question:
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