Sim-binding rule may hinder messaging apps abroad and raise costs for small firms, survey finds

A survey by Asia Centre has raised concerns over the Department of Telecommunications' SIM-binding directive. According to the survey, customers who use messaging apps such as WhatsApp may face difficulties, and the expenses of small and medium businesses may also rise. The study also says the arrangement will be of only limited help in curbing cyber fraud.

SIM-binding requires that the SIM card of the mobile number linked to a messaging app account stay inserted and active in the same mobile phone. The aim is to ensure that the person using the app controls that mobile number and SIM card.

The study is titled "Rethinking India's SIM-Binding Mandate: An Empirical Assessment". It is based on a survey of 2,033 customers in 18 Indian cities and 353 businesses in 17 cities.

In November 2025, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) asked companies running internet-based messaging apps to keep users' accounts linked to their registered SIM cards. The initial directive provided for web app sessions to be logged out automatically every six hours. It was later modified so that sessions can be terminated based on risk.

According to the survey, the biggest difficulty may arise during foreign travel. Only 33 per cent of respondents use international roaming on an Indian SIM card. The remaining 67.1 per cent use a local SIM card, Wi-Fi alone or another SIM card abroad. If the registered Indian SIM card is removed from the phone or becomes inactive, and the messaging service stops working as a result, people could face trouble.

The survey also contains figures on the inconvenience to users. Of the respondents, 97.7 per cent said that being logged out automatically when using the app on another device would be difficult for them. Similarly, 97 per cent said that logging in repeatedly with an Indian SIM card while travelling would be difficult.

The study also raises the impact on businesses. It says that if SIM-binding rules restrict the use of messaging apps on other devices, operations could be affected. About 78 per cent of the businesses surveyed acknowledged that such restrictions would affect their work to a lesser or greater degree.