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.[1] The platform is hosted exclusively at Government infrastructure and both are governed by the rules and regulations of Government of India.[2][3]
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Screenshot  Screenshot of Sandes version 2.2.3 on Android (December 2021) | |
| Developer(s) | |
|---|---|
| Initial release | August 2020 |
| Operating system |
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| Size |
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| Type |
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| License | Freeware |
| Website | sandes |
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.[4]
History
editIn 2019, the Government of India started a project to build an instant messaging platform named Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS) 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.[5][6][7]
Features
editSandes allows users to make end-to-end encrypted one-to-one and group messages. Also allows users to make end-to-end encrypted one-to-one voice and video calls. Messaging features include forward, forward to mail, broadcast, backup, text customization and tag. Tag is a functionality to mark a message as Confidential, on Priority or as Auto Delete. If a message is marked Auto Delete, then it will be automatically deleted once the recipient reads it. Currently Sandes is integrated with NIC email, DigiLocker and eOffice. So users can access these services without leaving the platform.[8][9]
Limitations
editA valid mobile number is required to sign up. Public users are limited to one-to-one chat. An official group is limited to 200 members. A casual group is limited to 50 members. Broadcast list is limited to ten contacts at a time. Users are only allowed to send the following file types: documents (doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pdf), images (jpeg, jpg, png), audio (mp3, m4a), video (mp4). File size is limited to 15mb per file.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Sandes Portal, Government Instant Messaging System, Government of India". sandes.gov.in. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Sandes". play.google.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Sandes". apps.apple.com. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "Sandes privacy policy". sandes.gov.in. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Verma, Shubham. "Indian government reportedly building its own WhatsApp-like chat app: Everything you should know". India Today. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Government testing GIMs, its secure messaging app". The Indian Express. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Sandes app: Better WhatsApp alternative? What about user data? We answer your questions". The Indian Express. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ Sandes Quick Reference Guide – Android (PDF).
- ^ Sandes Quick Reference Guide – iOS (PDF).
- ^ Sandes Faq v2.0 (PDF).