Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, chaired a stakeholders meeting today along with Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Dr. Neeraj Mittal under the Sanchar Saathi initiative to ideate and further strengthen efforts against telecom-related cyber frauds, in light of the urgent need for greater awareness, implementing preventive measures, and encouraging Jan-bhagidari through citizen reporting.
This citizen-centric digital safety initiative 'Sanchar Saathi' integrates advanced tools such as CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) to block stolen or lost phones, DIP (Digital Intelligence Platform), AI-based systems like ASTR (to detect connections taken on fake documents), and FRI (Financial Fraud Risk Indicator) to detect & prevent potential frauds. It has recorded remarkable progress in securing India’s telecom ecosystem.
So far, over 82 lakh fake mobile connections have been disconnected, and more than 35 lakh lost or stolen phones have been blocked. The initiative has also successfully prevented 1.35 crore spoofed international calls within just 24 hours of launching this system. System has affected 97% reduction in such calls.
The Sanchar Saathi portal has seen massive public engagement, with 16 crore visits and an average of 2 lakh users every day. Through the AI-powered ASTR tool, citizen reports, and stakeholder inputs, over 4.7 crore mobile connections have been disconnected. The initiative has also led to the blocking of 5.1 lakh mobile handsets, disengagement of 24.46 lakh WhatsApp accounts, and blacklisting of 20,000 bulk SMS senders involved in fraudulent activities.
Under the CEIR system of Sanchar Saathi, 35.49 lakh lost or stolen devices have been blocked, 21.57 lakh traced, and 5.19 lakh recovered. Today, Sanchar Saathi has onboarded 620 organisations, including central agencies, state police forces, telecom service providers (TSPs), and GSTN, forming a strong collaborative network to counter telecom fraud and cyber threats across the country.In a major step towards increasing accessibility, the Union Minister launched the Sanchar Saathi mobile application in Hindi and 21 regional languages, ensuring its reach across diverse regions. Originally introduced in January 2025, the app allows users to report suspicious communications, block or trace lost/stolen phones, and check for unauthorized mobile connections. It is now available on both Android and iOS platforms, empowering citizens across India with multilingual digital safety tools. The App has seen more than 46 lakh downloads.