DoT recovers over 7 lakh stolen phones under Sanchar Saathi; recoveries up 47%

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has recovered over 7 lakh lost or stolen mobile phones under its digital safety initiative Sanchar Saathi. In October alone, 50,000 handsets were recovered across the country.

Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as the best-performing states, each crossing 1 lakh recoveries, followed by Maharashtra with over 80,000. The DoT noted that monthly recoveries have surged by 47% between June and October 2025.

Sanchar Saathi uses device-level tracking to block and trace handsets even if the SIM is changed. When a reported device is activated, the platform automatically alerts the registered user and the nearest police station, enabling faster recovery and preventing misuse.

The DoT urged citizens to use the Sanchar Saathi app not only to report and block lost phones, but also to verify the authenticity of new or used devices before purchasing. Users can also report suspected fraudulent calls and messages, and verify official banking contact details through the platform.

Meanwhile, the government has appointed Amit Agrawal as the new Secretary of Telecommunications, as approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. A 1993-batch IAS officer from the Chhattisgarh cadre, Agrawal has previously served as CEO of UIDAI, held senior positions at MeitY and the Finance Ministry, and most recently served as Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.