Lost your phone? Sanchar Saathi recovers over 50,000 phones in Oct

Ziraat Times News Desk

New Delhi, Nov 25: India’s digital security framework received a major boost in October 2025, with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announcing that its Sanchar Saathi platform enabled the recovery of over 50,000 lost and stolen mobile phones in a single month for the first time. The nationwide total of recovered handsets has now crossed 7 lakh, showcasing the growing effectiveness of India’s technology-driven public safety systems.

According to the DoT, the sharp increase in recoveries reflects rising public adoption of the platform and strengthened coordination between State and UT police forces, the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU), and its field offices. Monthly recoveries between June and October 2025 rose 47 percent, and on average, one mobile phone is recovered every minute across the country.

Among states, Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as top performers, each crossing 1 lakh recoveries, followed by Maharashtra with over 80,000 devices restored to users. Officials attribute this success to strong state police participation, rapid response mechanisms, and widespread citizen usage.

Sanchar Saathi’s indigenously built platform uses automated workflows and real-time device traceability to block and track stolen phones. When a new SIM is inserted into a device reported on the platform, instant alerts are generated for both the registered user and the local police station, enabling quicker recovery and preventing fraudulent use.

The DoT highlighted that close collaboration between police departments, DIU units, and Licence Service Areas (LSAs) remains central to the initiative’s success. Continuous training sessions and strengthened partnerships with State and UT law enforcement have helped expand operational capacity and improve recovery rates.

The DoT encouraged citizens to download the Sanchar Saathi mobile app to:

• Report and block lost/stolen devices

• Verify authenticity of new or used phones before purchase

• Report suspected fraudulent calls or SMS

• Access verified contact details of banks and financial institutions

Officials noted that the increased use of these features is essential to sustaining India’s momentum in digital security and fraud prevention.

The surge in recoveries demonstrates the impact of the Government’s Digital India initiative in building a secure, citizen-centric digital ecosystem. Sanchar Saathi is now a cornerstone of India’s effort to combat device theft, cyber-enabled fraud, and identity misuse.

Citizens may access real-time statistics at the Sanchar Saathi portal (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in) or download the mobile app on Android and iOS for full services.