New Delhi, December 2, 2025:
The Government of India has directed telecom operators to pre-install a mandatory cyber safety application on all new smartphones sold nationwide starting January 2026. The directive follows a dramatic 40% increase in cybercrime cases, according to the NCRB’s 2025 report.
Developed by CERT-In under the supervision of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the app incorporates real-time threat alerts, AI-driven scam detection, VPN-based encryption, and malware protection, fully integrated with the National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC). The mandate will eventually cover India’s massive 1.2 billion mobile user base.
Telecom providers and smartphone manufacturers, including global giants such as Samsung and Apple, must push firmware updates to ensure compliance. Companies failing to meet the January deadline face penalties of up to ₹50 lakh.
Privacy activists, led by Apar Gupta of the Internet Freedom Foundation, criticized the move as a potential surveillance tool. However, Vaishnaw dismissed the concerns, calling the measure a “proactive national defense against sophisticated cyber threats.”
The decision comes in the wake of a ₹2,500 crore “digital arrest” scam busted by Indian agencies, involving organized cyber syndicates operating out of Cambodia. Pilot tests of the app in Uttar Pradesh reportedly blocked over 5,000 malicious links within weeks.
As part of the broader Digital India 2.0 mission, the initiative aims to secure India’s rapidly expanding digital economy, projected to handle ₹100 lakh crore in digital transactions by 2030.
