India considers smartphone source code access and tougher security rules

India’s authorities are weighing an initiative that could reshape the smartphone market. According to Reuters, the government is considering requiring Apple, Samsung, Google and Xiaomi to grant the state access to their software source code. Officials present the idea as a cybersecurity measure amid rising online fraud and hacking in a country with about 750 million active smartphones.

The discussion falls under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda to tighten protection of user data. Talks with tech companies are at an early stage, and officials say they are ready to take industry views into account. At the same time, India’s Ministry of Information Technology has publicly denied that there is a direct demand to hand over source code, while not addressing the specifics cited by Reuters. Smartphone makers and the industry group MAIT have so far declined to comment.

Under the proposal, companies would conduct a full security audit of their devices and then allow Indian certification labs to inspect source code for vulnerabilities. MAIT argues that such demands are almost unworkable, pointing to risks for privacy, trade secrets and intellectual property. The association notes that most major countries do not require manufacturers to disclose source code and has already urged the Indian government to abandon the idea.

Beyond code access, the rules under discussion may include mandatory regular device scans for malware, advance notice to the National Center for Communication Security about major updates and patches, and storage of system activity logs for a full year. Industry representatives warn that these steps could mean faster battery drain, delayed updates and simple storage shortages on many devices.

Another set of measures targets app and system behavior. Authorities want to curb background access to the camera, microphone and location without the user’s knowledge, require phones to detect rooted and compromised devices, block installation of older software versions and allow the removal of most preinstalled apps. How far the initiative will go remains unclear, but even raising it has already strained relations between the state and some of the world’s biggest tech companies. The direction of travel is evident: tighter oversight of consumer tech, weighed against the IP and usability risks flagged by industry.