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. This achievement underscores the government's commitment to protecting citizens' digital assets and demonstrates the power of collaborative technology in combating cybercrime. ‘Block Your Lost/ Stolen Mobile Handset’ facility on Sanchar Saathi integrates DoT, Telecom Service Providers (TSP) and State/ UT police in real time manner. Built on the theme of ‘Digital by Design’, this facility is helping recover one phone per minute.

‘Block Your Lost/ Stolen Mobile Handset’ facility empowers citizens to report, block, trace, or unblock lost/ stolen mobile across all Indian telecom networks. Reported lost/ stolen mobile handsets are blocked in telecom networks on pan India basis to prevent any misuse. As soon as any SIM is used with such lost/stolen mobile handset, automated traceability is generated and alert is sent to the citizens as well as the Police Station concerned where the complaint for lost/ stolen mobile handset was registered. Citizens are provided with the details of police station to be contacted in the generated traceability through SMS.

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. 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% increase over eight months. 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.

This milestone reinforces the government's vision of a secure digital ecosystem where technology serves as an enabler for citizen empowerment and safety. The initiative exemplifies the spirit of Jan Bhagidari (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.

Launched in May 2023, Sanchar Saathi (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in) 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

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

DoT urges all citizens to:

• Report lost or stolen devices immediately through the Sanchar Saathi portal or mobile app.
• Utilize the platform's comprehensive safety tools for ongoing digital protection.
• Stay informed through real-time statistics and trends available on the platform dashboard.

Sanchar Saathi Mobile App can be downloaded to avail various services from:

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dot.app.sancharsaathi

For iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/sanchar-saathi/id6739700695

   

 

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Samrat / Allen/ Murali

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