Sandes (software)
Sandes is an Indian state-owned freeware instant messaging platform developed by the Government of India. It runs on Android, iOS and in web browsers. The platform is hosted exclusively at Government infrastructure and both are governed by the rules and regulations of Government of India.
Sandes offers instant messaging, VoIP, File sharing and integration within various Indian Government digital services. In initial releases it was only accessible by government officials but now it is available for the public. At present, full features of the platform are only available to verified users.
History
In 2019, the Government of India started a project to build an instant messaging platform named Government Instant Messaging System as part of its Make in India initiative. The main goal of the project was to provide a secure messaging platform to government employees for internal communication which doesn't arouse the security concerns attached with the communication platforms hosted abroad or those owned by foreign entities. The initial software testing started in mid-September 2019 and ran for an extensive period of time. Around 6,600 government officials from various departments participated in this pilot program which reported to have exchanged about 20 lakh messages. Later in February 2021 the client application was rebranded as Sandes and published in the official website. This time the program was made available to the public in limited number.The Delhi police used the Sandes app to discuss sensitive information about dignitaries during the G20 summit. India's paramilitary forces transitioned to the 'Sandes App' for official communication and document sharing in January 2024, replacing WhatsApp.
In July 2024, the Government of Maharashtra mandated the use of the Sandes app for all official communications to enhance operational security and detect potential misuse.