New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is pushing ahead with a new move to fight spam calls and digital fraud. At a high-level meeting in New Delhi on July 22, TRAI brought together top officials from multiple regulatory bodies to chalk out steps that aim to clean up telecom-based misuse. The focus was clear: stronger rules, faster coordination, and better tech tools to protect ordinary users.
Representatives from RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, MeitY, DoT, MHA, and NPCI joined TRAI at its headquarters. The meeting came amid rising complaints about spammy commercial calls, fake financial messages, and frauds linked to UPI and mobile payments.
1600-series numbers to replace random commercial calls
One of the biggest changes agreed upon at the meeting was the shift to a dedicated 1600-number series for all commercial, transactional, and service calls in the banking and insurance sectors. So instead of random 10-digit numbers flashing on your phone, calls from banks or insurers will soon start with a recognisable 1600 prefix.
TRAI said the transition would happen in phases. Sectoral regulators like RBI and IRDAI will help decide the timelines based on the size and readiness of companies under them.
Pilot project to digitise customer consent
Another major announcement was the launch of a digital consent acquisition (DCA) pilot. The idea is to stop companies from sending promotional SMSes or calls based on sketchy or unverifiable paper consents. The new system will give customers a tamper-proof way to give or cancel consent online.
“The new mechanism will enable the consumers to digitally register, review, and revoke consents through a simple, unified and tamper-proof interface,” TRAI stated.
The pilot includes seven big banks: SBI, PNB, ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Canara, and Kotak Mahindra. It is being jointly run by TRAI and RBI, with four working groups set up to focus on technical rollout, operations, and public awareness.
Stronger tools to tackle telecom fraud
The regulators also discussed ways to automate the exchange of fraud-related data between the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform, and the DLT platforms used by telecom operators. This would help authorities act quickly to disconnect numbers used in fraud.
Misuse of telecom lines like SIP and PRI for bulk spam also came under the scanner. TRAI is exploring the idea of issuing such lines only from specific number ranges and adding strict conditions to prevent misuse.
Revamped portal for SMS headers
To help people identify the source of commercial messages, TRAI has upgraded its public portal smsheader.trai.gov.in. Users can search for who is sending messages from a particular header, which could help spot suspicious or spammy names.
NPCI joins as special invitee
For the first time, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) formally joined as a strategic stakeholder in the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR). With UPI frauds on the rise, NPCI’s involvement adds a vital layer to the group’s efforts.
TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said in a statement, “In an increasingly digitalized world, cross sectoral collaboration among regulators is crucial for coordinated enablement of services and protection of consumers from harm.”
He also praised DoT’s new Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) that labels phone numbers linked to financial scams. Lahoti urged all regulators to keep the momentum going and monitor implementation closely.
With multiple agencies on board and banks already in pilot mode, the push for 1600-series calls and digital consent could bring some real relief to Indian mobile users tired of dodging scam calls every day.