DoT’s Sanchar Saathi platform recovered over 50,000 stolen phones in October, marking a major milestone in digital security
New Delhi
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced on Tuesday that its digital safety initiative, Sanchar Saathi, enabled the recovery of more than 50,000 lost and stolen mobile phones across India in October this year. According to an official statement, the overall nationwide recovery has also crossed the 7-lakh mark, reflecting strong public trust in technology-driven governance.
Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as the top-performing states, each recording more than 1 lakh recoveries, followed closely by Maharashtra with over 80,000. The statement noted that monthly recoveries of lost and stolen devices surged by 47 per cent between June and October 2025, with more than one handset being recovered every minute across the country.
The achievement is powered by a robust, indigenously developed platform that integrates automated workflows with real-time device traceability. Sanchar Saathi prevents the misuse of blocked handsets by triggering alerts to both the registered user and the nearest police station whenever a SIM is inserted into a reported device, enabling swift recovery.
This progress is the outcome of seamless collaboration among state and UT police departments, the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) and its field formations (LSAs). Regular capacity-building efforts and partnerships with police forces have strengthened on-ground responsiveness and boosted operational efficiency.
The DoT has urged citizens to download the Sanchar Saathi app to report and block stolen devices, verify the authenticity of new or used phones before purchase, and report suspicious calls or messages. The app also allows users to cross-check trusted contact details of banks and financial institutions.