The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has strongly denied a report by Reuters which claimed that the Indian government plans to force smartphone manufacturers to share their source code and make major changes to their software as part of new security rules.

The IT Ministry clarified that no final decision or regulation has been made so far. It said that any future rules related to mobile phone security will be introduced only after proper discussions and consultations with all stakeholders, including industry players. The ministry added that the consultation process has already begun to understand the best possible regulatory framework for ensuring mobile security in India.

Responding sharply to the Reuters report, the ministry accused the news agency of misrepresenting facts. It said Reuters did not quote statements from smartphone companies or industry bodies and instead ignored comments from industry associations that explained the ongoing nature of discussions. According to the ministry, this showed an attempt to sensationalise the issue.

The IT Ministry further explained that consultations with the electronics and mobile industry are a routine process. These discussions usually cover many areas such as safety standards, electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), Indian language support, user interface requirements, and overall security standards. The ministry said that once consultations are completed, detailed discussions are held with the industry on different aspects of security requirements.

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) also reacted to the controversy. It said that discussions between the government and the mobile phone industry have been taking place for several years. ICEA stressed that these talks should not be viewed as a sudden or unexpected policy change by the government.

Earlier, the Reuters report quoted major smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung, claiming that the proposed package of 83 security standards has no global precedent. According to the report, these companies expressed concern that sharing source code could expose their confidential and proprietary information.

The report also pointed out that Apple had earlier refused to share its source code with China between 2014 and 2016. Similarly, even US law enforcement agencies have previously failed to obtain Apple’s source code, highlighting how sensitive such information is for technology companies.

The Indian government, however, has maintained that no such mandatory requirement has been finalised and that all decisions will be taken carefully, keeping both national security and industry concerns in mind.