Marking a major boost to citizen digital safety, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced that its Sanchar Saathi platform enabled the recovery of more than 50,000 lost and stolen mobile phones in October 2025, taking the total nationwide recoveries past 7 lakh. The milestone reflects growing public trust in the system and the government’s commitment to safeguarding digital assets. Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as the highest performers, each recording over 1 lakh recoveries, followed by Maharashtra with more than 80,000. The initiative has seen a 47% surge in recoveries between June and October 2025, and India now successfully retrieves over one mobile handset every minute through Sanchar Saathi.
Driven by an indigenously developed platform that combines automated workflows and real-time device traceability, Sanchar Saathi also prevents misuse of blocked mobile devices. Whenever a SIM is inserted into a reported handset, alerts are instantly sent to the registered user and concerned police station—dramatically improving response and recovery times. This success is powered by close coordination between state and UT police forces, DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU), and field formations (LSAs), supported by regular capacity-building initiatives that enhance operational efficiency.
The DoT has urged citizens to use the Sanchar Saathi app not only to report and block lost or stolen phones but also to verify the authenticity of devices before purchase and report suspected fraudulent calls or messages. With its growing adoption, Sanchar Saathi continues to strengthen citizen protection and reinforce the Government’s Digital India vision by creating a secure, transparent, and citizen-centric digital ecosystem.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
