On the basis of the anti-counterfeit and lost handset blocking portal, the government has made the registration of the IMEI number of all mobile phones mandatory before their sale in India.
According to a notification on September 26, all mobile phones, whether made locally or imported, will need to be registered and receive IMEI (International mobile equipment identity number) certificates from the Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction portal, managed by the Department of Telecommunications.
"The manufacturer shall register the international mobile equipment identity number of every mobile phone manufactured in India using the Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction portal of the government of India in the Department of Telecommunications," said a notification.
The notice has been issued under the Prevention of Tampering of the Mobile Device Identification Number (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
Every mobile phone comes with a 15-digit IMEI number that acts as an unique identification number.
Due to the presence of counterfeit devices with the same IMEI on a telecom network, there have been concerns about inability to track lost mobile phones.
The government has launched the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) program to target and monitor lost or stolen mobile phones, as well as a new Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) program to help keep proliferation at bay.
On the portal, there are currently only blocking facilities for stolen or lost mobiles.
The CEIR initiative is attempting to address the issue of lost mobile phones by addressing the issue of counterfeit devices.
With the new notification, the number of even imported devices will have to be registered on the ICDR system, and the use of IMEI certificates will be required for the imported mobile devices.
"Vor importation of mobile phone into the United States of India, the international mobile equipment identity number," the importer said of the mobile phone for sale, testing, research, or other purposes shall be recognized by the importer at the Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction portal of the government of India in the Department of Telecommunications.
The ICDR system has been established since January 28, 2020. It is available through a web portal for registration and creation of IMEI certificates without paying any expenses.
The new system has been replaced by the old IMEI cloning and duplication restriction system, which was operated and maintained by the Mobile Standard Alliance of India (MSAI) a private corporation.
MSAI is no longer permitted for the registration, generation, or publication of IMEI certificates, and the government is directly responsible for the system.