Aims to strengthen curbs on unsolicited commercial communications (UCC).
Follows IND TEL Aug. 2024 published a consultation on commercial comms, #224055.
Outline of Amendments
Adds reg 21A to formalize the Feb. 27, 2026 direction, mandating telecom service providers (TSPs) to leverage AI/ML detection to identify calling line identifications (CLIs) highly likely to be sending UCC and share this intelligence across operators.
Where five or more CLIs of a sender are flagged within ten days, access providers must initiate graded action including KYC re-verification, barring of outgoing services, and disconnection.
Defines application-to-person (A2P) calls as voice calls initiated by an application or automated platform without direct human dialing, must be pre-declared by entities to their TSP with CLI details ahead of use or they will be treated as UCC.
A termination charge of up to INR 0.05 per minute is levied on the originating access provider for A2P calls; calls on designated regulated commercial series are exempt from the charge.
Inquiry-based commercial communications are limited to seven days, which must be made in writing or digitally and maintained in a verifiable form.
Legacy consents are valid if obtained through verifiable means and subsequently registered on TSPs digital platforms.
Consumers may appeal UCC complaint resolutions within 15 days to an appellate authority; the enforcement threshold is lowered to three or more unique complaints within ten days for senders already flagged by AI/ML systems.
Misused headers or templates must be suspended by the originating access provider within six hours; responsible telemarketers face one-year disconnection across all TSPs and blacklisting.
Call management apps (CMAs) are prohibited from blanket blocking, or spam-tagging designated commercial/government series and must push consumer spam reports directly to the TSPs' DLT platforms.
Effectiveness
The regulations commence on Oct. 18, 2026, except for regulations 4, 6, 8(a), and 18, which commence on Nov. 17, 2026, and the Annexure amendments, which commence on Dec. 17, 2026.
