TRAI curbs blanket blocking of 140 and 1600-series business calls

Finalised anti-spam rules will reshape how Indian retailers and consumer brands manage commercial calling, consent and telemarketing. Caller-ID apps cannot blanket-block designated business-number series; provisions on spam sharing, appeals and sender penalties will be phased in after notification.

— Source publishedSat, 19 Sept, 2026, 14:37 IST·First seen Sat, 19 Sept, 2026, 18:06 IST·Source Medianama

What happened

TRAI finalised anti-spam rules affecting Indian businesses’ commercial calls, consent and telemarketing. Apps cannot blanket-block designated commercial series;

Key facts

  • 140xx
  • 1600xx
  • 1601xx
  • 5 paise per minute
  • 15-day consumer appeal window

Why this matters

Audit outbound calling workflows, consent records and telemarketing vendors now, as TRAI’s phased rules may protect legitimate business calls while raising compliance and A2P cost requirements.