TL;DR: India's telecom industry has proposed requiring always-on satellite location tracking on every smartphone. The proposal would mandate Assisted GPS (A-GPS) be permanently activated: no notifications that you're being tracked, no option to disable it, and meter-level precision of your location available to authorities at all times. Apple, Google, and Samsung are pushing back hard, saying no other country requires this. The government is still deciding. If approved, 735 million smartphones would become permanent tracking devices.
What the Telecom Industry Proposed
In mid-2025, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing major carriers including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, submitted a proposal to the Indian government [1].
The proposal requests:
- Mandatory activation of Assisted GPS (A-GPS) at the device level
- Continuous operation: always on, even when location services appear "off"
- No user notification that location is being tracked
- No option for users to disable satellite-based tracking
- Meter-level precision location data available to authorities
Currently, cell tower triangulation provides location accuracy within hundreds of meters. A-GPS provides accuracy within approximately one meter. The proposal would upgrade surveillance capability from "general area" to "exact location."
The Scale of This Proposal
India has 735 million smartphones as of mid-2025. That's:
- 95% running Android
- 5% running iOS
- The second-largest smartphone market in the world
- Growing by millions of devices annually
If this proposal becomes policy, it would create the world's largest always-on location surveillance network. Every smartphone in India would become a permanent tracking device, with no user control over the surveillance.
No other country has mandated always-on satellite tracking at the device level [2]. India would be first.
Why Telecom Companies Want This
The official justification focuses on law enforcement and public safety.
Stated benefits:
- Criminal investigations: Precise location tracking of suspects
- Rescue operations: Finding people in emergencies
- Stolen phone recovery: Locating missing devices
- Disaster response: Coordinating during emergencies
The carriers argue that stronger geolocation would "aid law-enforcement efforts in a country with hundreds of millions of users."
The unstated reality:
Telecom companies already provide location data to law enforcement upon request. This proposal would make that data far more precise and eliminate the technical possibility of users evading location tracking.
Tech Giants Push Back
Apple, Google, and Samsung, through the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), have strongly opposed the proposal [3].
Their objections:
- No precedent: "No other country mandates always-on satellite tracking at the device level"
- Privacy violation: Would "undermine India's privacy framework"
- Security risks: Constant location logging creates new data security vulnerabilities
- Vulnerable populations at risk: Journalists, activists, judges, diplomats, and defense personnel would all be trackable
The ICEA reportedly told the government that implementing this would require changes to operating systems specifically for the Indian market: essentially creating a surveillance-enabled version of Android and iOS unique to India.
Privacy and Security Implications
The proposal would fundamentally change the relationship between users and their devices.
What changes:
| Current State | Proposed State |
|---|---|
| Location services can be disabled | Location services always active |
| Apps show when accessing location | No notification of tracking |
| Location accuracy is hundreds of meters | Location accuracy is one meter |
| Users control privacy settings | No user control possible |
Who would be at risk:
- Journalists: Sources could be identified by meeting locations
- Activists: Protest attendance and organizing visible to authorities
- Domestic violence survivors: Abusers with government connections could track victims
- Business executives: Competitive intelligence through location tracking
- Politicians: Opposition figures' movements monitored
- Everyone: Complete location history available to anyone with access
Technical Reality
Implementing this proposal would require device manufacturers to:
- Modify operating systems: Create India-specific versions that bypass user privacy settings
- Override hardware controls: Prevent actual GPS disabling even when users think it's off
- Continuous data transmission: Stream location data to carriers or government servers
- Remove privacy features: Disable features specifically designed to protect user location
Battery implications:
Always-on GPS significantly increases battery drain. Users would experience shorter battery life with no understanding of why, since they wouldn't know GPS was active.
Data storage questions:
- Who stores the continuous location data?
- How long is it retained?
- Who can access it?
- How is it secured?
The proposal doesn't answer these questions. It creates surveillance infrastructure without defining oversight.
Current Status
As of December 2025, the proposal is still under government review [4].
Key decision-makers:
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Department of Telecommunications
Expected process:
- Stakeholder consultation (ongoing)
- Inter-ministerial review
- Policy decision
- Implementation timeline (if approved)
No final decision has been announced. The government is reportedly weighing telecom industry arguments against tech company objections and privacy concerns.
India's Surveillance Context
This proposal doesn't exist in isolation. India has been expanding digital surveillance infrastructure.
Existing surveillance capabilities:
- Aadhaar: Biometric ID system covering 1.4 billion people
- Central Monitoring System (CMS): Lawful interception of communications
- NATGRID: Integration of databases across agencies
- DigiYatra: Facial recognition at airports
Recent developments:
- Expansion of facial recognition across cities
- Social media monitoring programs
- Increasing government access to encrypted communications
Always-on GPS tracking would add precise location data to existing surveillance capabilities, creating a more complete picture of every citizen's movements, associations, and activities.
How This Compares Globally
No democracy has implemented mandatory always-on device tracking.
What other countries do:
- United States: Location access requires user permission; law enforcement needs warrants for precise location
- European Union: GDPR requires consent for location tracking; strict data protection rules
- China: Extensive surveillance but not publicly mandated always-on GPS at device level
- Russia: Surveillance capabilities exist but no known device-level mandate
If India implements this proposal, it would have the most invasive smartphone surveillance mandate of any major country.
What This Means for Users
If you're in India:
- The proposal is not yet policy: voice opposition now if you object
- Follow digital rights organizations tracking this issue
- Contact representatives to express privacy concerns
- If implemented, there would be no technical workaround on standard devices
If you're outside India:
- Watch for similar proposals in your country
- India's decision may influence other governments
- "Public safety" will be the justification everywhere
- Support organizations fighting mandatory device surveillance globally
The Bottom Line
India's telecom industry has proposed turning 735 million smartphones into permanent tracking devices. No off switch. No notifications. No opt-out. Meter-level precision of every user's location, available to authorities at all times.
Apple, Google, and Samsung say no other country requires this. They're right. This would be unprecedented surveillance infrastructure in the world's largest democracy.
The government hasn't decided yet. But the proposal exists, stakeholders are lobbying, and a decision is coming.
If approved, India would demonstrate that always-on device tracking is technically implementable at national scale. Other governments would take note. The precedent would be set.
The fight over smartphone privacy isn't abstract. It's happening now, in specific proposals, with specific timelines. This is one of them.
References
- Business Today - Should India switch on permanent A-GPS? Govt yet to decide on COAI's push (December 2025)
- Startup News - India Reviews Telecom Industry Proposal For Always-On Satellite Location Tracking (December 2025)
- TUAW - India's Satellite Tracking Plan Sparks Major Privacy Concerns (December 2025)
- Brand Icon Image - India Reviews Proposal for Mandatory Always-On Satellite Tracking (December 2025)