India’s major telecommunications providers have launched a collaborative initiative to combat digital fraud through new federated network services. Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea unveiled their joint effort at the India Mobile Congress 2025, implementing it as part of the GSMA Open Gateway program, which aims to standardize mobile network API access globally.
Recent data from the GSMA’s India Consumer Scam Report 2025 indicates that digital fraud remains a significant challenge in the Indian market, with 53 percent of consumers encountering scams and 10 percent falling victim to fraudulent activities within the previous year. The findings reflect a broader pattern of increasing digital fraud in India, where recent eSIM-based scams have highlighted vulnerabilities in mobile authentication systems.
The federation framework introduces two key components: SIM Swap and Number Verification APIs. These tools allow financial institutions, e-commerce platforms, and other digital service providers to verify customer identities across all participating mobile networks. The system maintains individual operator control over their respective data, policies, and revenue streams while enhancing security measures. The development builds upon India’s existing efforts to strengthen telecommunications security, including the TRAI’s Distributed Ledger Technology framework for combating SMS fraud.
At the technical level, the implementation uses CAMARA APIs, which have received GSMA certification and enable cross-network interoperability. These standardized interfaces provide developers with tools to create fraud prevention and identity verification services that operate uniformly across participating operator networks. The approach matches successful implementations in other markets, such as Malaysia’s unified Number Verification API system.
The system specifically targets SIM swap fraud, a technique commonly used to compromise mobile identities. Through enhanced cross-network authentication capabilities, banks and online platforms can more effectively verify user identities, potentially reducing fraudulent activities while preserving operator network autonomy. The initiative complements India’s broader digital security infrastructure, including the Mobile Number Validation system for UPI payments.
The collaboration represents a component of the broader GSMA Open Gateway initiative, which promotes standardized telecommunications APIs. The framework established by India’s primary mobile operators enables enhanced digital security while maintaining operational efficiency for participating businesses, building upon the country’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure and combat telecommunications fraud.
Sources: GSMA
