India denies plan to demand smartphone source code, says talks still underway

The Indian government has moved quickly to counter widespread reports claiming that smartphone makers in the country would soon be required to hand over their source code as part of a new security regime. Terming these claims misleading, officials clarified that no such proposal currently exists and that discussions taking place with mobile phone brands are still at a consultation stage.

The clarification was issued through the PIB Fact Check account on X, which directly refuted a recent Reuters report suggesting that India was planning to mandate access to smartphone source code. According to the government, this claim is incorrect. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has not proposed any rule or policy that would force companies to share their proprietary code with the authorities.

What is actually happening, officials said, is part of a routine and standard regulatory exercise. MeitY has initiated talks with smartphone manufacturers and other industry stakeholders to examine what kind of mobile security framework would best suit India’s fast-growing digital ecosystem. These consultations are meant to gather views and assess technical and practical challenges before any formal rules are drafted.

The government stressed that no final decisions have been taken. Any future regulations on mobile security would only be introduced after detailed discussions and feedback from the industry, ensuring that innovation and user experience are not compromised.

This response comes after Reuters reported that India was considering a broad set of new security measures for smartphones. According to the news agency, these included potential access to source code, advance alerts to the government before major software updates, and other changes at the software level. The report said such ideas had caused concern among global technology companies like Apple and Samsung, who fear that such requirements could expose sensitive intellectual property and disrupt global product development practices.

Reuters also linked these proposed standards to the Indian government’s larger push to strengthen data protection and digital security, especially as online fraud and data breaches continue to increase in one of the world’s biggest smartphone markets. Citing unnamed sources and confidential documents, the report claimed these measures were part of draft Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements prepared in 2023 and were now being considered for legal backing.

However, government officials have advised restraint in interpreting these developments. IT Secretary S. Krishnan told Reuters earlier that it was “premature” to draw conclusions and that any genuine concerns raised by the industry would be addressed with an open mind. A ministry spokesperson added that detailed comments could not be shared at this stage because consultations were still in progress.

The Reuters report also mentioned several other ideas that were said to be under discussion. These included allowing users to uninstall pre-installed apps, limiting background access to cameras and microphones, mandatory malware scanning, advance notice of software updates to a government body, and storing system logs on devices for up to a year. Industry body MAIT, which represents many global smartphone brands in India, was cited as opposing some of these measures, arguing that they could affect user experience, battery life, and the timely rollout of software updates.

For now, the government’s message is clear: there is no plan to force smartphone companies to surrender their source code, and the current engagement with the industry is purely consultative. Any future framework, if introduced, will be shaped through dialogue rather than diktat.