Over 6 Lakh Stolen Mobile Phones Recovered On 'Sanchar Saathi' Initiative: Govt

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has crossed a significant milestone by facilitating the recovery of over 6 lakh lost and stolen mobile handsets through its flagship citizen-centric digital safety 'Sanchar-Saathi' initiative, the government said on 30 September.

The feat marks a significant outcome, reinforcing the citizens' trust in digital governance , the government said in a statement.

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“The 'Block Your Lost/ Stolen Mobile Handset' facility on the flagship citizen-centric digital safety initiative“Sanchar-Saathi” of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has crossed a significant milestone by facilitating the recovery of over 6 lakh lost and stolen mobile handsets - marking a significant outcome reinforcing the citizens' trust in digital Governance,” read the government statement.

Protecting citizens' digital assets

This achievement underscores the government's commitment to protecting citizens' digital assets and demonstrates the power of collaborative technology in combating cybercrime, it said.

'Block Your Lost/ Stolen Mobile Handset' facility on Sanchar Saathi integrates DoT, Telecom Service Providers (TSP) and State/ UT police in a real-time manner. Built on the theme of 'Digital by Design', this facility is helping recover one phone every minute.

How does it work?

The facility empowers citizens to report, block, trace, or unblock lost/ stolen mobile phones across all Indian telecom networks . The reported lost or stolen mobile handsets are blocked in telecom networks on a pan-India basis to prevent any misuse. As soon as any SIM is used with such a lost/stolen mobile handset, automated traceability is generated and an alert is sent to the citizens as well as the police station concerned, where the complaint for the lost/stolen mobile handset was registered. Citizens are provided with the details of the police station to be contacted in the generated traceability through SMS.

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Field units of DoT continuously collaborate with law enforcement through capacity-building initiatives, thus ensuring traced devices are efficiently recovered and returned to rightful owners, the government said.

61% increase over eight months

With these efforts, the recovery rate has shown consistent month-on-month improvement, with monthly recoveries increasing from 28,115 in January 2025 to 45,243 in August 2025 – representing a 61 per cent increase over eight months, the government said.

“This upward trajectory reflects the platform's growing integration with law enforcement agencies and enhanced citizen awareness. The crossing of 6 lakh recoveries represents more than just numbers – it reflects the restoration of digital security for hundreds of thousands of Indian families. Each recovered device represents prevented fraud, restored communication, and reinforced trust in our digital ecosystem,” it said in the statement.

The initiative exemplifies the spirit of citizen participation in governance, demonstrating how collaborative efforts between government, technology, and citizens can create meaningful impact. The success of Sanchar Saathi contributes directly to India's broader Digital India vision and supports the government's commitment to creating a cyber-secure Digital Bharat.

What is Sanchar Saathi?

Launched in May 2023, Sanchar Saathi () has evolved into India's most comprehensive digital safety platform, recording over 19 crore website visits and 90 lakh+ mobile app downloads . Sanchar Saathi's comprehensive approach to digital safety includes multiple other citizen-centric modules:

-Chakshu: Report suspected fraud communications

-Know Your Mobile Connections: Verify all active connections

-Device Authenticity Verification: Check IMEI genuineness via portal, app, or SMS to 14422

-International Call Reporting: Report suspicious international calls with Indian caller IDs

-Trusted Contact Details: Access verified contact information for banks and financial institutions

The crossing of 6 lakh recoveries represents more than just numbers – it reflects the restoration of digital security for hundreds of thousands of Indian families.

Sanchar Saathi is a step towards building a secure digital ecosystem where citizens can access government services easily and safely.

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Recognising India's linguistic diversity, the Sanchar Saathi mobile application is available in Hindi, English, and 21 regional languages, ensuring accessibility for citizens across all demographics and geographical locations.

(With PIB inputs)

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