India has decided to drop a proposal that would have required all smartphones sold in the country to come with the Aadhaar application pre-installed, reports Reuters. The government stepped back after continued resistance from global technology companies like Samsung and Apple, as well as industry bodies like the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT) and privacy advocates.
The proposal originated from the Unique Identification Authority of India, the statutory body responsible for managing Aadhaar, India’s national digital identity system. Notably, officials had explored a plan under which smartphone manufacturers would be required to pre-load the Aadhaar app on all devices sold in the country. The idea was to make digital identity services more accessible by ensuring that users automatically had the app available, rather than needing to download it manually.
Aadhaar itself is one of the largest biometric identity systems in the world, covering over 1.3 billion residents. It assigns each individual a unique 12-digit number linked to biometric and demographic data, including fingerprints and iris scans. Over time, Aadhaar has become central to India’s governance and economy, used for banking, SIM verification, welfare, and tax services. It is also increasingly used for digital payments and paperless identity checks.
However, despite such advantages, the proposal faced opposition from major device makers like Apple and Samsung, who raised concerns about design changes, higher costs, and disruptions to global supply chains due to India-specific requirements. Another major concern was security. Industry bodies like the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology warned that forcing a sensitive identity app onto every device could increase cyber risks. Since Aadhaar is linked to personal and biometric data, any vulnerability could be serious, especially amid past concerns over data leaks, even as the government maintains that the core database is secure.
Mandating a government app on personal devices also raised concerns about user choice and the line between state systems and private technology. The Aadhaar proposal was not the only attempt, as similar attempts to pre-load government apps have been made in recent years, but many were scaled back after industry pushback, showing the ongoing tension between India’s regulatory goals and the realities faced by global tech firms.
Ultimately, with this proposal as well, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology reportedly signalled that it would not move forward with making the Aadhaar app mandatory. While no detailed public explanation was given, it is clear that a mix of industry resistance, privacy concerns, and possible economic impact played a key role in the decision.