The government has officially ended the robocall campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan’s voice, which aimed to raise awareness about cybercrimes and digital arrest scams. The campaign was stopped on June 25, according to officials involved in the initiative.
Launched by the Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) in partnership with the Department of Telecommunications, the initiative began shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the growing threat of digital scams during his Mann Ki Baat speech in October 2024.
For several months, phone users across India heard Bachchan’s iconic voice warning them about cybercrime risks and advising them to dial 1930 in case they encountered a digital arrest scam. The campaign was initially introduced with a generic voice for 90 days and later extended for another 60 days using Bachchan’s voice, broadcast in multiple regional languages 7 to 8 times daily by telecom operators.
While the campaign successfully caught public attention due to the high-profile voiceover, it also faced some criticism. An official associated with the project said, “We did receive some negative feedback, particularly about delays in emergency calls getting through,” which was one of the reasons behind not extending the campaign further.
The initiative was part of a broader effort to improve public understanding of digital threats. However, a recent government study titled Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom 2025, conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, found that although internet usage in India is nearing saturation, only 18 percent of users are aware of how to report a cybercrime.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
