India’s government has announced a major plan to make smartphones safer by asking big companies like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi to share their source code.
Source code is the core programming that controls how a phone works. Officials say studying this code will help them find weaknesses that hackers could use. With around 750 million smartphone users, India is the second-largest mobile market, and the government wants to reduce online scams and data leaks that affect millions of people every day.
These new rules are part of the Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements, known as ITSAR, which include 83 detailed security standards that phone manufacturers must follow. One of the biggest demands is that companies must give their confidential source code to government-approved labs in India so experts can check it for security issues.
Many global tech companies are worried because sharing their code could expose their trade secrets. They also point out that no major region such as Europe, North America, Australia, or Africa asks for such strict measures at the moment.
The rules also include other major changes. Smartphone companies must update their software so users can easily delete pre-installed apps that come with the device. Another requirement is that apps should not be able to turn on the camera or microphone without permission.
This aims to prevent spying and stop harmful apps from secretly recording. Phones would also need to perform regular automatic scans for viruses and malware. In addition, companies have to report major software updates or bug fixes to the National Centre for Communication Security before sending them out to users.
Leading smartphone brands in India are strongly opposing these proposals. Xiaomi currently holds 19 percent of the market, followed by Samsung at 15 percent and Apple at 5 percent, according to data from Counterpoint.
MAIT, the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology, which represents these companies, says sharing source code is not realistic because of privacy laws and the chance of leaks. They remind the government that even China once asked Apple for code and was denied, and U.S. law enforcement agencies have also failed to get it.
MAIT has raised more concerns. They say frequent virus scanning could reduce battery life and make phones less efficient for daily use. Getting government approval for every major update could also slow down important security fixes at times when quick action is necessary.
Another issue is a rule requiring phones to store a full year of activity logs. MAIT argues that most phones do not have enough storage for this amount of data and that it could affect device performance.
This kind of disagreement between India and tech companies is not new. Recently, the government withdrew a rule that would have required all phones to come with a special cyber safety app from a state agency because of concerns about excessive monitoring.
Earlier, India also made strict security tests mandatory for surveillance cameras due to fears of spying from China. Even now, IT Secretary S. Krishnan says the government is willing to discuss genuine industry concerns and that it is still too early for final decisions.
The debate grew more intense after meetings in December 2025 between the ministry and representatives from Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. During these discussions, companies repeated that no country in the world currently forces such strict rules.
The standards, first drafted in 2023, are now moving closer to becoming law, and another round of discussions is planned for Tuesday, January 13, 2026. None of the companies have officially commented on the issue recently.
For millions of Indians who rely on smartphones for banking, shopping, and daily tasks, stronger security protections could help reduce fraud that causes huge financial losses every year.
However, if companies refuse to follow the rules or face higher costs to meet them, it could result in more expensive devices or slower rollout of new features. As talks continue, the challenge remains to find a balance between national security and the interests of global technology companies in India’s rapidly growing digital market.
Disclaimer: This article is based on recent reports from credible sources like The Hindu and Reuters as of January 11, 2026.