Sanchar Saathi is a citizen portal run by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that puts mobile safety services in one place: blocking a lost phone, checking SIMs issued on your name, verifying a handset before you buy it and reporting fraud calls. The name means roughly "communication companion", and the official address is sancharsaathi.gov.in.
This page is an independent explainer, not the portal itself. Below you will find what each service does, when an ordinary user needs it, and which page on this site walks through it in detail.
Quick facts
Run by
Department of Telecommunications, Government of IndiaPortal
Citizen services
8 listed on the home pageLogin
Mobile number plus OTP for most servicesFee
FreeKYM by SMS
KYM <IMEI> to 14422Money lost to fraud
Call 1930 or use cybercrime.gov.inApp
Optional, for Android and iOS
What is Sanchar Saathi portal and why it exists
Phones and SIM cards are now tied to bank accounts, payment apps and identity checks. When a phone is stolen or a SIM is issued in your name without your knowledge, the damage can go far beyond the handset. The DoT built this portal so that a common user can act directly, without visiting many offices.
The Sanchar Saathi meaning in practice: a single window where you can block a stolen phone, see which mobile numbers are linked to your identity, confirm that a phone is genuine and flag suspicious calls or messages. Each service sits on its own page or sub-site, all under the sancharsaathi.gov.in address. Students preparing for UPSC and other exams often read about it as an example of citizen-facing telecom governance.
All Sanchar Saathi citizen services at a glance
| Service (as named on the portal) | What it does | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Chakshu: Report Suspected Fraud Communication | Report a call, SMS or chat message you think is a scam or impersonation | Someone posing as a bank, courier, police officer or telecom company contacts you |
| Chakshu: Report Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) | Report spam marketing calls and SMS sent against your preference | You keep getting promotional calls you never agreed to |
| Block your lost / stolen mobile handset | Blocks the phone's IMEI on all Indian networks through CEIR | Your phone is lost or stolen |
| Mobile connections in your name (TAFCOP) | Lists mobile numbers issued on your identity; you can report extra ones | You suspect a SIM was taken in your name |
| KYM, the handset genuineness check | Checks an IMEI and shows the make and model on record | Before buying a used or new phone |
| Report Incoming International Call With Indian Number | Flags calls that show a +91 number but come from abroad | You get a call that looks local but seems routed from outside India |
| Know Your Wireline ISP | Search licensed wired internet providers by name, PIN code or address | Choosing or checking a broadband provider |
| Trusted Contact Details | Shows the official phone numbers, email IDs and websites of banks and financial institutions | Before you call back a number that claims to be your bank |
The list can change as DoT adds services, so treat the portal home page as the final word.
Blocking a lost phone and the CEIR link
The best known use of the portal is blocking a lost or stolen phone. This runs on CEIR, the Central Equipment Identity Register, at ceir.sancharsaathi.gov.in. Once the IMEI is blocked, the handset cannot work on any Indian network, and if someone puts a SIM into it, details reach the police for tracing.
Before you start, keep the FIR or lost report details ready and get a duplicate SIM so the OTP can reach you. Our step by step blocking guide covers the form, and the unblock guide explains what to do when the phone comes back. No IMEI noted down? This page lists where to look for it.
SIM check, KYM and the other everyday uses
The SIM connections service (still widely called TAFCOP) shows how many numbers are active against your identity. Our SIM check guide explains the report options and what happens after.
KYM is the handset check. Send "KYM" followed by the 15-digit IMEI to 14422, or open KYM on the website. The reply tells you whether the IMEI is valid and the model recorded against it, and may warn that it is blacklisted, duplicate or already in use. This is the real blacklist check; a format checker like our IMEI check page can only test the digits.
Chakshu is for reporting, not for recovering money. If money has already left your account, call 1930 at once or lodge a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.
How to use the portal: a simple routine
- Type sancharsaathi.gov.in yourself in the browser. Do not follow links from SMS or chat messages.
- On the home page, open the citizen service you need.
- Enter your mobile number and the captcha, then the OTP that arrives on that number.
- Fill only the fields the form asks for. For blocking, keep your police complaint details and ID proof ready.
- Note any request ID or reference shown at the end. You need it to check status later.
The portal also has a Hindi option and works on a phone browser, so you do not need a computer.
When something goes wrong on the portal
| Problem | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The one-time code never comes | Network delay or the SIM is not active | Wait a minute, check signal, then request again; for a lost number, get a duplicate SIM first |
| Captcha keeps failing | Case sensitive or expired | Refresh the captcha and type it exactly |
| Number check shows an unknown connection | A SIM may have been issued with your documents | Report it through the SIM check service and keep the reference |
| Fake site asking for payment | Look-alike pages copy the design | The real services are free; use only addresses ending in gov.in |
| Lost money after a fraud call | Chakshu does not reverse payments | Call 1930 and report on the cyber crime portal quickly |
Is there a Sanchar Saathi helpline number
The portal does not run one general call centre for all services. Instead, each problem has its own channel. For financial fraud the national helpline is 1930. For KYM by SMS the short code is 14422. For a suspicious international call shown with an Indian number, the portal lists 1963 and 1800110420. Spam marketing can be reported to 1909. For a lost phone, your first contact is the police station, and for a duplicate SIM, your telecom operator's store.
Portal or app: which should you use
The same citizen services can also be reached through a DoT app on Android and iOS phones. The app is optional. Everything can be done on the website from any browser, and many people prefer that because nothing needs to be installed. If you are curious about what the app asks for, read our Sanchar Saathi app guide, or the Hindi version Sanchar Saathi app kya hai.
संचार साथी पोर्टल मुफ्त है, और ऐप लगाना ज़रूरी नहीं है।
Frequently asked questions
What's Sanchar Saathi in simple words, and what are its uses?
It is a free government portal from the DoT for mobile users. You can block a stolen phone, see the SIMs issued on your name, check if a handset is genuine and report fraud calls or messages from one place.
Is sanchar saathi gov in genuine or a copy?
Yes, the official address is www.sancharsaathi.gov.in, and its services sit on sub-addresses such as ceir.sancharsaathi.gov.in and tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in. Type it yourself rather than tapping links sent by strangers.
Can a Sanchar Saathi number check be done for someone else?
No. The SIM check works only with OTP on a number you hold, and it shows connections issued on that person's own identity. The portal does not reveal the owner or location of another person's number.
Does Sanchar Saathi have a login?
There is no permanent account or password. Each service asks for your mobile number and an OTP sent to it at the time you use it.
Can Sanchar Saathi track my lost phone?
Blocking through CEIR helps police trace the phone if it is used with a SIM, but you cannot see its location yourself. Read our guide on how to track a lost phone for what actually works.
Is the Sanchar Saathi portal free to use?
Yes. None of the citizen services charge a fee. A page asking for money in its name is fake.