Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 18: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has rolled out stringent new regulations to combat spam calls and unwanted commercial messaging, introducing tighter restrictions on automated voice calls and customer inquiry-based communications.

Under the updated guidelines, commercial communications prompted by a consumer's product or service inquiry are now restricted to a seven-day window from the date of the inquiry, effectively limiting how long businesses can use customer queries for promotional outreach.

To further curb automated spam, TRAI has mandated that all robocalls using pre-recorded voice messages must carry a formal "pre-declaration." Any automated calls placed without this required declaration will automatically be classified as spam. Additionally, the regulator has slapped a ?0.05 per call termination charge on unsolicited automated calls to act as a financial deterrent against the misuse of automated calling systems.

These fresh measures build upon TRAI's ongoing initiatives to protect consumers. Last month, the regulator directed telecom operators to onboard non-financial sector entities onto the 1601-series numbering framework for transactional and service voice calls, expanding a system previously restricted to the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. This allows consumers to easily identify genuine business calls and protects them against fraud carried out via standard 10-digit mobile numbers.

As part of the initial phase of this expansion, the 1601-series is being allotted to the utilities sector—encompassing electricity, water, city gas distribution, and LPG providers—while government bodies continue utilizing the existing 1600-series framework.