Negative feedback prompts Centre to end Amitabh-led-robocall campaign

Negative feedback prompts Centre to end Amitabh-led-robocall campaign

Notedly PM Modi had unvield the robocall campaign. It was to arrest digital scams amidst his Mann Ki Baat address in October 2024.

Markedly, for months, millions of Indians heard the unmistakable baritone of Amitabh Bachchan every time they made a phone call, warning them over cybercrime and urging them to dial 1930 in case they fall prey to digital arrest scam.

Initially, a generic version of the robocall was launched for 90 days. This was later followed by a 60-day extension with Amitabh Bachchan’s voice (AFP)

As per officials, as of June 25, the campaign has come to an end.

Infact, the campaign was launched by the Union home ministry’s Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

An official who worked closely on the initiative revealed to the media that the government has discontinued the campaign as of June 25. While the initiative drew attention for its high-profile voiceover, it wasn’t without criticism. They did receive some negative feedback, particularly over delays in emergency calls getting through,” according to official cited above hinting that this was one of the reasons for not renewing the campaign further. It was created to increase public awareness about digital scams as they continue to become more complex.
A recent study, titled Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom 2025, by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) found that while internet use in India is reaching saturation levels, only 18% of users know how to report a cybercrime.
Initially, a generic version of the robocall was launched for 90 days.
This was later followed by a 60-day extension with Bachchan’s voice. During the campaign, the robocall was rolled out in regional languages and aired 7-8 times a day by telecom providers.

News Edit KV Raman

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