DoT’s Sanchar Saarthi helps recover 6 lakh lost and stolen mobile phones; NCT Delhi, Punjab, Bihar lag in recovery

Artificial intelligence-powered Sanchar Saarthi app has facilitated the recovery of over 6 lakh stolen and lost mobile handsets since its inception, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) revealed on Tuesday.

According to the data reported on the Sanchar Saarthi platform, Delhi National Capital Territory has seen the highest number of mobile phones getting blocked, exceeding the overall mobile phones recovered in the country till date. The phones blocked in NCT Delhi are around 8.52 lakh. However, the territory has the lowest recovery percentage of just 2%, followed by Punjab and Bihar at 12-13% each.

Telangana leads the country in absolute numbers, with nearly one lakh successful recoveries. When ranked by recovery efficiency, measured as the percentage of traced phones that were ultimately recovered, Lakshadweep tops the list with a 100% success rate, followed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 56.40%, with Ladakh and Mizoram close behind.

Notably, 8.46% of all recoveries were made just this month, amounting to over 48,000 mobile phones. Monthly recoveries have climbed from 28,115 in January earlier this year to 45,243 in August, a 61% increase in eight months. This came on the back of a stronger law enforcement coordination and growing citizen engagement.

A good parameter of assessing these recoveries will also entail comparing these numbers with the number of queries for lost or stolen phones received on the platform. For context, the number of phones recovered is just 16% of the number of phones blocked. This means there is massive headroom for growth with regards to improving infrastructure for facilitating larger number of mobile phone recoveries.

How is the blocking, tracing and recovery process undertaken?

As part of its digital safety initiatives for the country, the communications ministry had rolled out the ‘Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile Handset’ functionality on the platform. This entails collaboration of the DoT with Telecom Service Providers, and state/UT police in real-time to facilitate quick blocking, tracing, and recovery of devices. The department claims to currently be working towards recovering one phone per minute.

Once a lost device is reported, the handset is immediately blocked across all telecom networks. If a new SIM is inserted, the system auto-generates traceability alerts to both the affected user and the police.

What is the Sanchar Saarthi platform?

The portal was launched in May 2023, with the mobile app rolled out in January this year. The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms, helping users to protect their telecom identity and take swift action against potential fraud.

The government states that over 19 crore website visits have been logged to date, with over 90 lakh mobile app downloads. The platform offers fraud call reporting using its Chakshu feature, mobile connection verification, and IMEI authenticity checks. The app is available in Hindi, English, and 21 other regional languages.