India proposes requiring smartphone makers to provide source code to the government.

India has proposed telecom security standards that would ask phone makers to share device source code and notify authorities about major software updates; government and industry are engaged in consultations and no final legal rule has been imposed.

India has proposed a set of telecom security standards that would ask smartphone makers to share device source code with designated Indian labs and make several software changes. The measures are presented as part of efforts to strengthen data and device security amid rising online fraud and breaches in India’s large phone market. Major manufacturers and an industry group have raised concerns privately about disclosing proprietary code and other technical requirements. Government officials say consultations with companies are ongoing and that legitimate industry concerns will be addressed. Key facts: - The draft package comprises 83 security standards and includes proposals such as source code review, mandatory malware scanning, and prior notification of major software updates, according to Reuters reporting and confidential documents. - Industry groups told the government that source-code review and some other requirements could expose proprietary information and are not standard practice in major markets, according to documents seen by Reuters. - Officials have held meetings with manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Google and Xiaomi, and the IT secretary said industry concerns would be considered; the ministry declined further comment while consultations continue. - Ministry and industry representatives were due to meet for further discussions, and the government is considering whether to make the standards legally binding. Summary: If enacted, the proposed rules would change how device makers interact with Indian authorities on testing and software updates and could affect device practices in the market. The immediate next step is continued consultations between the IT ministry and technology companies; whether the package will be imposed as law is undetermined at this time.