Most smartphones and tablets today run Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS operating systems. With its own mobile OS, India seems to be competing against the two behemoths. BharOS, an indigenous mobile operating system, has been developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras for the country’s 100 crore mobile phone users.
In a press conference conducted by IIT Madras today, January 19, BharOS was announced. It is currently used by organizations with strict privacy and security requirements, where sensitive information must be kept confidential. IIT Madras established JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops) to develop the OS.
Various security and privacy features are included in the operating system. The No Default Apps (NDA) feature, for instance, means that users are not forced to use any particular app by default and are free to install whatever they choose. According to the Institute, this approach gives users more control over what apps can access on their device because they can allow only trusted apps to access certain features and data.
A private app store service (PASS) curates apps for individual businesses through BharOS. PASS reportedly offers a hand-picked selection of apps that have been verified as privacy- and security compliant.
