New Delhi. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has tightened its rules to curb unsolicited commercial communication, imposing tougher obligations on telemarketers and firms that generate spam calls and texts.
Under the updated framework, every telecom operator will have to integrate artificial‑intelligence and machine‑learning based filters that can spot suspicious commercial outreach in real time. The technology is intended to flag abnormal calling patterns and stop repeat abuse of telephone numbers.
Five Offending Numbers Within Ten Days May Trigger Disconnection
If five or more numbers linked to the same spammer are identified within a ten‑day window, TRAI empowers the regulator to order a termination of the connection. The offending entity can also be placed on a blacklist for as long as one year, following due process.
In addition, TRAI has introduced a levy of 5 paise per minute on automated calls, adding a financial deterrent for large‑scale robo‑calling operations.
Misuse of Business Numbers and Message Templates Will Be Policed
Operators must act when a registered business number or a pre‑approved message template is abused. If a telemarketer is traced to the misuse, the regulator may extend penalties to all other numbers associated with that marketer, potentially including blacklisting.
Consumers dissatisfied with a complaint’s outcome have 15 days to lodge an appeal. Appeals can be filed via the DND app, the service provider’s own app or portal, or by dialing 1909.
Prior Disclosure Required for Automated Calls
The revised rules also cover automated dialing systems, robocalls and calls that use pre‑recorded or AI‑generated voices. Such calls must disclose their automated nature to the recipient before the conversation begins.
TRAI further clarified that call‑management apps cannot blanket‑block entire commercial series like 1600 and 1601 merely because they belong to a particular range.
These fresh measures aim to bolster monitoring of commercial communications while giving operators more sophisticated tools to detect and act against suspected spam activity.
