India has backed away from a plan that would have required all new smartphones to come with its national digital ID app, Aadhaar, already installed—after facing resistance from both tech companies and privacy advocates, Reuters has reported.
The proposal, initially put forward by the agency that manages Aadhaar, aimed to have manufacturers like Apple and Samsung pre-install the app on devices sold in the country. Aadhaar is a biometric identification system used by over a billion people in India for services like banking, telecom verification, and even airport access.
However, after consulting industry stakeholders, India’s IT ministry decided not to proceed with the idea and signaled it does not support mandatory preloading of apps unless absolutely necessary.
Smartphone makers strongly opposed the plan. They raised concerns about user security, software compatibility, and higher production costs—especially since separate manufacturing processes might be needed for Indian and global markets.
Privacy groups also welcomed the reversal, pointing to longstanding worries about data protection and past incidents where personal information linked to Aadhaar reportedly leaked online.
The dropped proposal marks the latest in a series of unsuccessful attempts by the Indian government to require pre-installed state apps on mobile devices. It also highlights the limits of the country’s broader digital push, particularly as it tries to attract global tech firms to expand manufacturing within India.
