Sanchar Saathi recovers over 75,000 lost or stolen phones in a single month
On 28 August 2026, the Department of Telecommunications said Sanchar Saathi had for the first time helped recover more than 75,000 lost or stolen mobile handsets in a month across India.
Summary
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said on 28 August 2026 that its citizen-centric initiative Sanchar Saathi had for the first time helped recover more than 75,000 lost or stolen mobile handsets in a single month across India. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia credited coordination among DoT, telecom service providers and State/UT police. Monthly handset recoveries rose 201% between April 2025 and July 2026. Recent enhancements include sharing the police station name in traceability reports, giving police SIM details of lost handsets and advising citizens by SMS to factory-reset recovered phones.
Key facts
- Initiative
- Sanchar Saathi, Department of Telecommunications
- Record
- Over 75,000 handsets recovered in one month (first time)
- Growth
- 201% rise in monthly recoveries, April 2025–July 2026
- Partners
- DoT, telecom service providers, State/UT police
- New features
- Police station name in reports; SIM details to police; factory-reset SMS
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Sanchar Saathi, which crossed 75,000 handset recoveries in a single month in 2026, is an initiative of which department?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Department of Telecommunications
Sanchar Saathi is the Department of Telecommunications' citizen-centric initiative.
By how much did monthly handset recoveries through Sanchar Saathi rise between April 2025 and July 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — 201%
Monthly recoveries rose 201% between April 2025 and July 2026.