Amit Shah Approves Exemption for Cellebrite Forensic Tool Purchase by NIA
What happened
Amit Shah approved a one-time exemption from the government’s Make in India procurement rules for the National Investigation Agency to purchase Cellebrite. The exemption covers one Cellebrite Premium Tool with a three-year license, priced at Rs. 4,98,15,000. The Internet Freedom Foundation tracked this approval, which was detailed in a Ministry of Home Affairs letter dated January 20, 2026. The Delhi Police has reportedly used Cellebrite tools since at least 2020.
From medianama.com
Why it matters
The approval allows Cellebrite to secure a significant government procurement contract despite the government’s Make in India rules. This highlights the use of specialized digital intelligence tools by Indian law enforcement agencies for forensic extraction.
From medianama.com
Who's involved
- CellebriteSupplier of the Cellebrite forensic tool
- Amit ShahUnion Home Minister who approved the purchase exemption
- Internet Freedom FoundationIndian digital liberties organization that tracked the procurement
- Government of IndiaThe government whose procurement rules were exempted
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- CellebriteSpeculative
Cellebrite might see increased revenue from government contracts in India.
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The entities involved
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Cellebrite
Israeli digital intelligence company
Nothing else this week.
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Amit Shah
Indian politician and 32nd Union Minister of Home Affairs
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Internet Freedom Foundation
Indian digital liberties organisation