India wants Apple and Google phones to use government encryption

Bangalore

INDIA'S relationship with the global tech industry has become increasingly fraught with challenges. This year alone, the government has banned Facebook's free web service and declined to exempt Apple from local sourcing rules. Now India could force companies to use technology cooked up in a government-funded lab.

The initiative is part of a national biometric identity programme called Aadhaar (Hindi for foundation). Millions of Indians use fingerprint and iris-scan authentication to access a range of public and private services that now includes banking. Failure to join the effort could limit the tech industry's access to a vast and growing market, but companies like Apple and Google are expected to resist opening up their phones and operating systems to the Indian registration, encryption and security technology.