BENGALURU, India: India has instructed major smartphone manufacturers to ship all new devices with a government-built cyber safety app that cannot be removed, expanding its digital security push in one of the world's biggest telecom markets, according to an order reviewed by Reuters.

The directive, issued privately by the telecoms ministry on November 28, requires companies, including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi, to preload the Sanchar Saathi app within 90 days. Devices already in the supply chain must receive the app through software updates, the order said. The instruction has not been made public.

The government argues the move is needed to combat telecom fraud tied to duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which are used for scams, illegal network access, and masking stolen devices. India has more than 1.2 billion telecom subscribers, and officials say the app has helped recover over 700,000 lost phones since January, including 50,000 in October.

Sanchar Saathi allows users to verify IMEI numbers, report suspicious calls, and block stolen devices through a central registry. The ministry says the system has helped block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost phones and cut off over 30 million fraudulent connections.

Apple, however, is expected to face complications. The company's policies prohibit pre-installing government or third-party apps on iPhones before sale, a person with knowledge of the matter said. Apple has previously clashed with Indian regulators over similar demands, including a government anti-spam app.

"Apple has historically refused such requests from governments," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint. "It's likely to seek a middle ground: instead of a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an option to nudge users towards installing the app."

Apple's iOS accounted for about 4.5 percent of India's 735 million smartphones as of mid-2025, with the remainder running Android, Counterpoint estimates.

Industry executives say the lack of prior consultation is a concern, especially given the requirement that the app be non-removable. Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi did not respond to requests for comment. India's telecoms ministry also did not respond.

An IMEI, a unique 14- to 17-digit identifier embedded in each handset, is a key tool for cutting off network access to stolen devices. The government says Sanchar Saathi strengthens cyber protections and helps law enforcement trace stolen phones while keeping counterfeit devices off the market.

The app has logged more than five million downloads since launch.