Native mobile operating system BharOS without default apps, automatic updates announced: all the details

A company incubated by IIT Madras has developed an indigenous mobile operating system called “BharOS”, officials said on Thursday.

The system can be installed on commercially available handsets. BharOS services are currently provided to organizations that have strict privacy and security requirements and whose users manage sensitive information that requires confidential communications on restricted applications on mobiles.

These users need access to private cloud services through private 5G networks.

BharOS was developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), which was incubated at IIT Madras.

“The BharOS service is a mobile operating system built on a foundation of trust, with the goal of providing users with more freedom, control and flexibility to choose and use only the applications that meet their needs,” said the director of IIT Madras, V Kamakoti.

“This innovative system promises to revolutionize the way users think about security and privacy on their mobile devices,” he said.

“We look forward to working closely with many other private industries, government agencies, strategic agencies and telecommunications service providers to increase the use and adoption of BharOS in our country,” he added.

BharOS comes with no default application (NDA). This means that users are not forced to use applications they may not know or trust.

Additionally, this approach allows users to have more control over the permissions apps have on their device, as they can choose to only allow apps they trust to access certain features or data on their device.

According to Karthik Ayyar, Director of JandK Operations Pvt Ltd, BharOS offers “Native Over The Air” (NOTA) updates that can help keep devices secure.

“NOTA updates are automatically downloaded and installed on the device, without the user needing to manually initiate the process. This ensures that the device is always running the latest version of the operating system, which includes the latest security patches and bug fixes. With NDA, PASS and NOTA, BharOS ensures Indian mobile phones are trustworthy,” he said.

Ayyar explained that BharOS provides access to trusted apps from organization-specific private app store services (PASS).

A PASS provides access to a curated list of apps that have been thoroughly vetted and have passed certain organizations security and privacy standards.

“This means users can be confident that the apps they install are safe to use and have been checked for any potential security vulnerabilities or privacy issues,” he said.