The Indian Army has equipped its officers with around 30,000 “Sambhav” smartphones for secure communication, a report claims. These phones, which feature specialised apps for sharing sensitive information, were reportedly used during the last round of talks with China in October 2024. According to a report by the news agency ANI, Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi confirmed the use of Sambhav phones for secure communication during his annual press conference. The project to develop and deploy these secure smartphones was initiated in 2024.
‘Sambhav’ smartphones for Indian Army: What are these devices and how are they important
The Army developed the indigenously designed “end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem” to enable secure communication with instant connectivity. SAMBHAV, which stands for Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version, operates on advanced 5G technology and features full encryption for enhanced security.
The project uses handsets equipped with apps like M-Sigma, which serves as a secure alternative to popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp, allowing users to send messages, documents, pictures, and videos securely.
The Army aims to use these internal smartphones, compatible with Airtel and Jio networks, to prevent the leakage of sensitive documents into the public domain.
Previously, several Army officials relied on WhatsApp and similar apps to share information and documents, leading to frequent breaches. These new phones come preloaded with contact numbers of key personnel, eliminating the need for officials to save them manually, the report cited sources to note.
The Indian Army created SAMBHAV in partnership with major academic institutions and industry experts.
“Mobile networks are prone to eavesdropping and therefore information security of mobiles is at risk of being compromised. An end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem which is network-agnostic has been developed to provide secure communication with instant connectivity on the move,” an official said when this project was announced.
