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Indian Government Mandates State-Owned App Preinstallation on Phones

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India is ordering Apple and other phone makers to preinstall a state-owned app

India’s Department of Telecommunications’ New Mandate for Phone Manufacturers

Phone manufacturers in India are facing a new directive from the Department of Telecommunications, requiring them to pre-install a state-owned app on all new phones and push it to existing devices through software updates. This move, reported by Reuters, gives manufacturers a 90-day deadline to comply with the order, which was privately sent out on November 28th to major players such as Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Russia’s Precedent in State-Backed App Preloading

In a similar vein, Russia had previously issued a mandate for phone manufacturers to preload a state-backed messenger app called Max. This trend of state intervention in phone features is not unique to India.

The Sanchar Saathi App and Its Mandatory Inclusion

The state-owned Sanchar Saathi app, currently available on major app stores, is set to become a mandatory inclusion on all phones in India. This order aims to prevent the app from being disabled or deleted, emphasizing features such as phone tracking and fraud message reporting based on IMEI identification.

Apple and Google’s Market Presence in India

Despite iOS users forming a smaller portion of the Indian market, Apple’s sales in the region reached a record high of $9 billion in September. Google, on the other hand, expanded its Pixel phone sales through online channels earlier this year. Both companies have ramped up local manufacturing efforts, reflecting a growing commitment to the Indian market. Comments from Apple and Google on this latest mandate are awaited.

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