Sanchar Saathi Crosses 75,000 Monthly Mobile Handset Recoveries
DoT's Sanchar Saathi initiative recovered over 75,000 lost or stolen mobile handsets in one month, a first for the platform.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced a significant milestone for its citizen-centric initiative, Sanchar Saathi. For the first time since the platform's inception, more than 75,000 lost or stolen mobile handsets were recovered in a single month across India. The achievement underscores growing public trust in the initiative and highlights the effectiveness of technology-driven governance.
The record recovery is attributed to enhanced coordination between the DoT, telecom service providers (TSPs), and police departments in states and union territories. The DoT has also implemented several key upgrades to the Sanchar Saathi ecosystem to boost recovery rates. These include providing citizens with the name of the relevant police station in traceability reports via SMS, email, and the portal, and sharing details of SIM cards inserted into lost or stolen handsets with police authorities, including alternate mobile numbers.
Additionally, citizens are now advised via SMS to perform a factory reset on recovered handsets to safeguard against potential malware. The DoT's Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) and its field units are working closely with police personnel to ensure devices are efficiently traced and returned to their rightful owners. These collaborative efforts have led to a 201% rise in monthly handset recoveries from April 2025 to July 2026.
The platform operates on a robust indigenous system with automated workflows and real-time device traceability. Citizens can report a lost or stolen handset through the Sanchar Saathi web portal or mobile app. Once reported, the device is blocked on the Indian telecom network, preventing misuse. Any attempt to use the blocked handset triggers an alert to the citizen and the local police station, facilitating its recovery and return.
Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, lauded the achievement, noting the milestone was powered by citizen trust, smarter technology, and seamless coordination between the DoT and state police forces. The DoT remains committed to empowering citizens and protecting digital assets in line with the government's Digital India vision.