Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio, Bharti Mittal’s Airtel ordered to halt this key service amid national security concerns during India-Pakistan war

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has raised concerns over national security and instructed Reliance Jio and Airtel to revisit their home delivery of SIM cards, citing security risks. This comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The DoT has asked the telecom companies to pause this service due to potential security implications.

The DoT has issued a strong advisory to all telecom operators, emphasising the need for Aadhaar-based Know Your Customer (KYC) authentication before delivering SIM cards to customers. This aims to enhance national security and prevent misuse, requiring proper identity verification and full KYC completion before handing over SIM cards.

As per reports, Airtel and Reliance Jio have paused their home delivery services for SIM cards following the Department of Telecom's directive. Both companies will review their processes to comply with regulatory guidelines before resuming the service, ensuring adherence to Aadhaar-based KYC authentication requirements.
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Airtel and Reliance Jio had planned to offer express home delivery of SIM cards, with Airtel partnering with Blinkit to deliver SIMs within 10 minutes for a Rs 49 convenience fee. Reliance Jio had informed the Department of Telecom (DoT) on April 16 about its plan to launch a home delivery service for SIM cards, similar to Airtel's. However, following the DoT's directive to prioritise Aadhaar-based KYC authentication for national security reasons, both companies have put their express delivery plans on hold, with Airtel reviewing its processes to comply with regulations.

The Department of Telecom put the initiative on hold on April 30 due to concerns about customers completing self-KYC after receiving SIM cards. This advisory applies to all telecom operators, emphasising the need for proper KYC authentication before SIM delivery. Meanwhile, consumers have the option to use Mobile Number Portability (MNP) to switch to Airtel from another network provider for both prepaid and postpaid services.