India has stepped back from a plan that could have changed how millions use their smartphones—and not everyone is unhappy about it.
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Govt Drops Mandatory Aadhaar App Plan
The Indian government has decided not to push forward with making the Aadhaar App compulsory on smartphones.
The proposal was reviewed by the IT Ministry, which is “not in favour” of forcing device makers to pre-install the app.
This update came through the Unique Identification Authority of India.
If implemented, the rule would have required every new smartphone sold in India to come with the Aadhaar app already installed.
But that idea has now been put on hold.
Tech Giants Push Back
Major global companies like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics strongly opposed the move.
Their main concern was simple: users should decide what apps they want on their phones.
This wasn’t the first attempt either. Over the past two years, the government made multiple efforts to push similar proposals. Each time, the industry resisted.
They argued that mandatory apps could limit user choice and go against the principle of platform neutrality.
Privacy and Cost Concerns
Industry body Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology raised several red flags.
According to them, forcing pre-installed apps could create privacy and data security risks.
It could also increase costs for manufacturers, who might need to create India-specific versions of their devices.
That means separate production lines and higher operational complexity.
In internal discussions, MAIT even questioned whether the move would actually benefit the public.
Why the Government Wanted It
The government’s goal was to make Aadhaar services easier to access.
A pre-installed app would allow users to quickly update details, manage family profiles, or lock biometric data without extra steps.
The revamped Aadhaar app, launched earlier this year, is designed to reduce the need for physical documents and simplify identity verification.
Today, Aadhaar covers over 1.34 billion people and is widely used for banking, telecom, and travel services across India.
A Sensitive Balance
Despite its benefits, Aadhaar has also faced scrutiny over data privacy in the past.
That’s why the idea of making the app mandatory sparked debate.
For now, the government has chosen a more cautious path—balancing convenience with user choice and privacy concerns.