SIM binding
SIM binding ties an account or app to the SIM registered for it, and checks again whenever the SIM is removed, swapped or moved to another phone.
Glossary, A to Z
UPI apps already bind to the SIM. In November 2025 India’s Department of Telecommunications directed messaging apps to work only while the registered SIM is present and active, with a deadline reported as 31 December 2026.
Source: The Hacker News, Dec 2025 (opens in a new tab), press report