The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has noted that many spam-related complaints from consumers are directed at businesses they have previously engaged with for goods or services. When investigated, these businesses often claim they hold the consumer’s consent for sending commercial messages or making calls. 

 

Under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, commercial communications can be made to consumers, even if they are on the Do Not Disturb (DND) list, as long as the sender has obtained explicit consent. However, in many instances, consent is gathered through offline or unverifiable means, making its authenticity difficult to confirm. Some consumers have reported that their contact details were acquired through misleading methods or without authorisation. 

 

In response, TRAI has introduced several regulatory initiatives in recent years to tackle these issues. These include allowing complaints against unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) regardless of DND status, and the large-scale disconnection of telecom resources exploited for spamming. Nonetheless, verifying consent that is claimed to be obtained offline continues to pose a serious challenge. 

 

To address this, the regulations mandate that entities acquire digital consent and register it within a secure, interoperable consent registry managed by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). This registry enables quick verification of consent during commercial communications. However, for the framework to function effectively, the active participation of businesses sending such communications is essential. 

 

To facilitate national implementation, TRAI has launched a Pilot Project in partnership with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), involving selected banks. On 13th June 2025, TRAI issued a directive to all TSPs, instructing them to initiate this pilot framework in collaboration with banks. Given the high risk of fraud and spam in the financial sector, banks have been chosen as the first participants. The pilot, operating within a Regulatory Sandbox, aims to validate the technical, operational, and compliance components of the upgraded Consent Registration Function (CRF), paving the way for future expansion into other sectors. 

 

TRAI remains dedicated to protecting consumer rights and reinforcing trust in legitimate commercial communication. The Authority will continue to coordinate with other regulators and stakeholders to build a safer, more transparent, and consumer-focused digital ecosystem.