The Indian Army Messaging App Said to Go Into Function Starting April 1

Secure Application for Internet or SAI, is a messaging platform for the Indian Army, developed by the Indian Army. The Indian Army is said to be starting the usage of SAI starting April 1, according to reports. The indegenous app, that supports end-to-end voice, text, and video calling services is similar to commercially available messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and the recently-launched Sandes.

The Ministry of Defence announced SAI back in October 2020, and said that the Android app scored over on security features with local in-house servers and codes, which can be tweaked as per requirements. The app has been vetter by CERT-in empaneled auditor and the Army Cyber Group, and is currently in the process for filing Intellectual Property Rights hosting infrastructure on the NIC. The app is also under development for iOS and will be utilised by the Indian Army to facilitate secure messaging within the service.

SAI has been developed by Col Sai Shankar and is undergoing the process of getting cyber and security clearance and data testing. SAI is said to be an alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.

In July, after the Centre banned 59 Chinese apps, officers of the Indian Army were instructed to remove 89 apps from their mobiles including apps like Daily Hunt, Tinder, Facebook, TikTok, Zoom, and PUBG, which was later banned in September 2020. Last year, the Indian Army also instructed its soldiers to steer clear of WhatsApp for official usage. Even carrying smartphones on bases and dockyars has also been prohibited by the Indian Armed forces.

Source: News18