The Indian government has reportedly approached smartphone manufacturers with a request to preload the Aadhaar application on all new devices sold within the country. This would effectively see the biometric identity system, currently carrying the data of 1.34 billion citizens, become a native function of the phone's operating system, similar to the phone's alarm or calculator. However, the move has been met by resistance from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google.
According to recent reports, the push originated from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) earlier this year, which tasked the IT Ministry with lobbying manufacturers. The industry’s response, coordinated through the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT), has been firm.
Beyond data security concerns, manufacturers are also worried about logistical hurdles. They argue that mandating specific software for the Indian market would require the creation of separate production lines for domestic and export models, a complication that MAIT suggested in an internal memo would "not drive greater public good."
This friction follows a remarkably similar standoff just weeks ago involving the Sanchar Saathi app, a tool designed to combat telecom fraud. While the government eventually backed down on that mandate — which would have forced the app onto both new and existing devices via unremovable software updates—the Aadhaar proposal appears to have been framed more as a formal request. Nevertheless, the industry remains wary. Critics have pointed out that aside from Russia, almost no other major economy requires the pre-installation of state-run applications, with Western democracies typically opting for voluntary downloads and strict regulatory frameworks instead.
However, it is not just Aadhaar that is creating tensions, and it is worth noting that smartphone manufacturers are currently fighting back against a total of six different apps provided by the government. These apps include 'Sachet,' a disaster alert service that MAIT formally opposed in a letter to the IT Ministry as recently as March 2026. While the government believes that pre-loading these apps will make them more accessible to the public in general, it is clear that the tech world is getting increasingly concerned about the potential impact.
Also read: UIDAI completes biometric update in 1 lakh schools
Follow us
