DoT disconnects 88 lakh suspicious mobile numbers using AI platform

MUMBAI: For telecom fraudsters, the signal is getting weaker. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has disconnected more than 88 lakh suspicious mobile connections using its artificial intelligence-powered ASTR platform, as the government steps up efforts to curb cyber fraud and the misuse of telecom resources.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics Tool (ASTR) has been developed to identify suspicious mobile connections. As of 15 July 2026, over 88 lakh such mobile numbers had been disconnected after failing the mandatory reverification process.

The government is also leveraging public participation through Chakshu, a facility available on the Sanchar Saathi portal that enables citizens to report suspected fraudulent communications.

Rather than acting on every individual complaint, DoT analyses the crowdsourced data to detect larger patterns of telecom misuse. Based on 11.18 lakh reports submitted through Sanchar Saathi, the department has disconnected 50.90 lakh mobile connections as of 15 July 2026.

The ministry said this data-driven approach enables authorities to identify networks involved in cyber fraud and financial scams more effectively, rather than tackling isolated incidents.

While matters relating to cybercrime fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, and Police and Public Order remain State subjects under the Constitution, DoT has been strengthening inter-agency collaboration through technology.

To support this effort, the department has developed the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), which enables two-way information sharing between stakeholders, including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the MHA, to help prevent the misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and financial fraud.

The platform is also being adopted by financial market regulators. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has advised its regulated entities to onboard the DIP for information sharing. According to DoT, it has conducted multiple awareness sessions, with more than 50 SEBI-regulated entities now integrated with the platform.

The latest figures underline the government’s growing reliance on artificial intelligence, big data analytics and cross-agency collaboration to combat telecom-enabled fraud, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit digital communication networks to target consumers.