Compliance tool · Updated 24 October 2026
India calling rules tracker
For compliance teams at businesses that call customers in India: 78 changes from 10 regulators since 2024, each linked to the official text.
Coming up
1 Nov 2026
DoT · Takes effect
Caller name display (CNAP) goes live
Operators must show the caller's name on calls over 4G and later networks in every service area, with no request needed from the subscriber. Business and bulk connections can show a verified preferred name such as a trademark or GST trade name.
About 8 Nov 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1601 series Phase I onboarding due
Operators have 90 days from the 10 August 2026 direction, which we count as about 8 November 2026, to move utilities and courier and logistics companies' service and transactional calls onto 1601 numbers.
13 Nov 2026
MeitY · Takes effect
DPDP Rule 4: Consent Manager registration opens
Consent Managers can register with the Data Protection Board. The main duties on businesses, including notice and consent for call data, do not start until 13 May 2027.
27 Nov 2026
TRAI · Takes effect
TCCCPR Third Amendment: A2P call declaration and charge
60 days after its publication in the Gazette on 28 September 2026. Senders whose software places calls (A2P) must declare it and their caller number ranges to their operator in advance, or the calls are treated as unsolicited commercial communication. Operators may charge each other up to ₹0.05 a minute for A2P calls, except calls from 140, 1600 and 1601 numbers.
Dec 2026 (expected)
ASCI · Takes effect
Date being verified
ASCI synthetic-content labelling guidelines expected to apply
The guidelines apply three months after publication. They are dated 17 September and were released on 29 September 2026, so expect mid to late December 2026. Ads where synthetic content, including a replicated voice, could materially influence a buying decision must be labelled; suggested labels include "Audio/Video created using AI".
27 Dec 2026
TRAI · Takes effect
TCCCPR Third Amendment: 90-day changes (consumer appeals, complaint trigger)
90 days after its publication in the Gazette on 28 September 2026. Consumers can appeal to their operator's Appellate Authority within 15 days, including through the DND app or 1909. For unregistered telemarketers, 3 complaints in 10 days now trigger action if any of the sender's numbers is AI-flagged; 5 complaints still trigger it on their own.
1 Jan 2027
RBI · Takes effect
RBI recovery-conduct directions take effect
Nine amendment directions, one for each type of RBI-regulated lender except payments banks, apply. Staff and recovery agents may contact borrowers only between 08:00 and 19:00 unless the borrower asked otherwise, every recovery call must be recorded, with the borrower told, and kept for six months, and lenders must follow TRAI's commercial-call rules.
1 Jan 2027
CCPA · Takes effect
Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026 take effect
E-commerce entities must follow the 2023 Dark Patterns Guidelines, do a dark-pattern self-audit every year and display a certificate of compliance (new rule 4(15)). Whether the guidelines reach sales calls is not settled.
13 May 2027
MeitY · Takes effect
DPDP core duties take effect
Notice, consent, security safeguards, breach reporting, retention and erasure, children's data, data-subject rights and the penalty provisions of the DPDP Act and Rules apply. For AI calls this covers the notice and consent behind recordings and transcripts.
Already happened
28 Oct 2026
TRAI · Takes effect
TCCCPR Third Amendment: most changes apply (30 days)
30 days after its publication in the Gazette on 28 September 2026. Operators' AI spam flags move into the rules, enquiry-based calls are limited to 7 days after a written or digital enquiry, older consents count once registered, and caller-ID apps may not tag designated series.
25 Oct 2026
IRDAI · Deadline
Date being verified
Comments due on IRDAI's distribution reform paper
Last date for feedback on IRDAI's consultation paper on distribution reforms, as reported by law firms. Its proposals include commission caps, a single distribution licence and claw-back of commission on mis-sold policies.
15 Oct 2026
CERT-In · Issued
CERT-In advisory on AI agents as attack vectors (CIAD-2026-0049)
Critical-severity advisory on AI agents that went beyond their tasks and reached live Indian systems, and on attackers using open-source agentic AI tools. Relevant to anyone running AI agents with access to customer systems.
13 Oct 2026
DoT · Issued
DoT CNAP circular and licence amendment
DoT ordered caller name display from 1 November 2026 and changed the licence definition of caller identification to include the name in the subscriber record. Businesses should check the name their numbers will show.
5 Oct 2026
MeitY · Issued
DPDP (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2026
S.O. 5458(E) fixes the wording of two provisions of the DPDP Act (sections 9(1) and 10(2)). It does not move any compliance date.
29 Sep 2026
ASCI · Issued
ASCI guidelines on labelling synthetic content in ads
Ads must label synthetic content, including a real person's voice replicated with consent, where it could materially influence a buying decision. Deepfakes and a person's likeness used without consent are prohibited even with a label.
28 Sep 2026
TRAI · Issued
TCCCPR (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 published in the Gazette
Published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4 (CG-DL-E-28092026-276548). Its changes start in three steps counted from this date: 28 October, 27 November and 27 December 2026.
23 Sep 2026
IRDAI · Consultation
IRDAI consultation paper on distribution reforms
IRDAI published a consultation paper on the economics of insurance distribution. Law firms report proposals for commission caps, a single distribution licence and claw-back of commission on mis-sold policies, with comments due 25 October 2026.
18 Sep 2026
TRAI · Issued
TCCCPR (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026
TRAI defined an A2P call as one placed by software or an automated platform without a person dialling, including pre-recorded or artificial-voice calls, required advance declaration of A2P calling, and added a per-minute charge between operators and AI/ML spam flagging. Calls from 140, 1600 and 1601 numbers are exempt from the charge and may not be flagged as spam to the people called. The changes start 30, 60 and 90 days after its publication in the Gazette on 28 September 2026.
10 Sep 2026
IRDAI · Issued
IRDAI order against Canara HSBC Life
₹1 crore penalty for mis-selling an annuity to an 88-year-old through a bank channel. The order calls the pre-issuance verification call "a critical regulatory safeguard and a formal touchpoint for ensuring informed consent", and the call in this case misdescribed who would be paid.
9 Sep 2026
CCPA · Issued
Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026
G.S.R. 789(E) requires e-commerce entities to follow the 2023 Dark Patterns Guidelines, with a yearly self-audit and a displayed certificate of compliance. In force from 1 January 2027.
10 Aug 2026
TRAI · Issued
1601 series Phase I direction
Utilities and courier/logistics companies get 1601 numbers for service and transactional calls, assigned directly to verified businesses, never for promotion. Operators have 90 days to onboard them.
6 Aug 2026
RBI · Issued
RBI recovery-conduct amendment directions
Nine directions, one per lender type, set a 08:00 to 19:00 contact window, recording of recovery calls with six-month retention, and compliance with TRAI's rules. They take effect on 1 January 2027 and do not mention AI or automated calls.
10 Jul 2026
TRAI · Issued
TRAI clarifies 140 and 1600 series (PR 91/2026)
1600 is mandated for service and transactional calls by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA regulated entities to their existing customers, and for government-to-citizen calls. 140 numbers are for promotional calls by any sector, after registering with an operator; apart from customers' DND choices, 140 calls may not be tagged or filtered.
30 Jun 2026
DoT · Issued
DoT allocates the 1601 number series
A new 1601 series for service and transactional calls by sectors other than banking, finance, insurance and government. Operators must verify each business and take an exclusive-use undertaking.
24 Jun 2026
RBI · Consultation
Draft guidance on model risk management
RBI proposed governance rules for all models used by regulated entities, including third-party and AI/ML models such as those behind AI voice agents. Comments closed 24 July 2026.
3 Jun 2026
CCPA · Issued
CCPA penalties for dark patterns
CCPA announced penalties on two online businesses for dark patterns, treated as unfair trade practices: ₹5 lakh on an ed-tech platform (basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action) and ₹1 lakh on a software company (confirm shaming, interface interference, trick question, forced action).
20 May 2026
RBI · Consultation
Revised draft recovery directions
RBI issued revised drafts of the recovery-conduct rules after substantial feedback, with comments due 31 May 2026 and a proposed start of 1 October 2026. The final directions of 6 August 2026 start on 1 January 2027 instead.
19 Apr 2026
ECI · Issued
ECI press note on AI content in the 2026 state elections
For the 2026 state elections, ECI (press note ECI/PN/072/2026) asked that AI content be labelled with disclosure of the originating entity and that misleading AI content be taken down within 3 hours.
10 Apr 2026
RBI · Deadline
NBFC outsourcing directions: existing IT contracts must comply
Existing IT outsourcing agreements had to meet the 2025 outsourcing directions at renewal or by this date, whichever came first. This covers contracts with AI voice and call-centre technology vendors.
30 Mar 2026
MeitY · Consultation
Draft IT Rules Second Amendment, 2026
MeitY published further draft amendments to the IT Rules, and on 21 April 2026 added a proposal that labels on visual synthetic content stay on screen throughout. Comments closed 7 May 2026; we found no final notification as of 24 October 2026.
15 Mar 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: qualified stockbrokers
SEBI qualified stockbrokers must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers.
13 Mar 2026
TRAI · Consultation
Draft TCCCPR Third Amendment
TRAI proposed rules for automated (A2P) calls, AI/ML spam detection and a tighter complaint trigger. Comments were first due 12 April and counter-comments 27 April 2026; TRAI later extended these to 19 April and 4 May 2026.
1 Mar 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: remaining NBFCs, co-operative banks, RRBs
Remaining RBI-regulated entities, including smaller NBFCs, co-operative banks and regional rural banks, must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers.
27 Feb 2026
TRAI · Issued
Direction on AI/ML spam-call flagging
Operators must flag numbers their AI/ML systems suspect of spam and share them within 2 hours. If 5 or more of a sender's numbers are flagged in 10 days, graded action follows, up to disconnection.
20 Feb 2026
MeitY · Takes effect
IT Rules synthetic-content labelling takes effect
Intermediaries offering tools that create synthetic audio must label it, for audio with a prominently prefixed audio disclosure, and embed metadata. Synthetic content that misrepresents a person's identity or voice is prohibited. Takedown time for unlawful content falls from 36 hours to 3.
15 Feb 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: insurers
IRDAI-regulated entities must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers.
15 Feb 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: mutual funds and pension entities
SEBI-registered mutual funds and AMCs, and PFRDA's record-keeping agencies and pension fund managers, must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers.
12 Feb 2026
RBI · Consultation
Draft recovery-conduct directions
RBI released draft rules for nine types of lender on recovery calls and recovery agents, with comments due 6 March 2026. The draft proposed a start date of 1 July 2026, which did not take effect.
10 Feb 2026
MeitY · Issued
IT Rules amendment on synthetically generated information
G.S.R. 120(E) defines synthetic audio and video and adds labelling, metadata and 3-hour takedown duties for intermediaries. MeitY's FAQs name voice synthesis and voice cloning tools and give a cloned-voice call as an example.
1 Feb 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: large NBFCs, payments and small finance banks
NBFCs with assets over ₹5,000 crore, payments banks and small finance banks must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers.
1 Jan 2026
TRAI · Deadline
1600 series deadline: commercial banks
Commercial banks must make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers, even where the customer has consented to other numbers.
16 Dec 2025
TRAI · Issued
1600 series mandate for insurers
TRAI directed that IRDAI-regulated entities move service and transactional calls to 1600 numbers by 15 February 2026.
28 Nov 2025
RBI · Issued
RBI outsourcing directions for each type of lender
New Managing Risks in Outsourcing directions keep the lender responsible for its service providers, including call-centre, telemarketing and recovery vendors. They took effect immediately.
28 Nov 2025
RBI · Issued
RBI consolidates its rules into Master Directions
More than 9,000 circulars were reorganised into entity-wise Master Directions. The existing rules on recovery calls, calling hours and telemarketers now sit in each lender's Responsible Business Conduct Directions.
19 Nov 2025
TRAI · Issued
1600 series mandate for banks, NBFCs, mutual funds and brokers
TRAI set phased deadlines from 1 January to 15 March 2026 for RBI, SEBI and PFRDA regulated entities to make service and transactional calls only from 1600 numbers. After the deadline, spam complaints against a covered entity's calls from other numbers are handled as for an unregistered telemarketer (para 8).
13 Nov 2025
MeitY · Issued
DPDP Rules, 2025 notified
The rules set up the Data Protection Board and phase in duties: Consent Manager registration from 13 November 2026 and the main duties on businesses from 13 May 2027.
5 Nov 2025
MeitY · Issued
India AI Governance Guidelines
A principle-based framework that relies on existing laws. It creates no new binding duties for AI calls.
1 Nov 2025
RBI · Takes effect
Digital Lending Directions: multi-lender provisions take effect
The rules for lending service providers working with several lenders start to apply.
24 Oct 2025
ECI · Issued
Date being verified
ECI advisory on labelling AI content in campaigns (reported)
According to news reports (the advisory text was not found), ECI asked parties to label AI-made audio for the first 10% of its duration and visuals over 10% of the display, to avoid content misusing a person's identity or voice without consent with intent to mislead, and to take such content down within 3 hours.
22 Oct 2025
MeitY · Consultation
Draft IT Rules on synthetic content
MeitY proposed labelling and metadata rules for AI-generated audio and video, including a label over the first 10% of audio. Comments closed 13 November 2025.
16 Oct 2025
TRAI · Issued
Digital consent pilot to finish by February 2026
TRAI's joint committee of regulators agreed to complete the digital consent pilot with 11 banks by February 2026 and a phased move of financial-sector calls to 1600 numbers.
9 Oct 2025
ECI · Issued
ECI press note on AI deepfakes in the Bihar election
ECI warned parties against AI deepfakes and asked parties, leaders, candidates and star campaigners to label AI-generated campaign content.
13 Aug 2025
RBI · Issued
RBI FREE-AI framework report
An RBI committee set out 26 recommendations for responsible AI in finance, including a board-approved AI policy and telling customers when they deal with AI. It is a committee report, not a binding direction.
25 Jul 2025
CERT-In · Issued
Date being verified
CERT-In Comprehensive Cyber Security Audit Policy Guidelines
Version 1.0 of CERT-In's guidelines on how organisations commission and run cyber security audits, including AI system assessments, as reported in law-firm summaries. Relevant to audits of AI voice vendors; the official text was not reviewed here.
13 Jun 2025
TRAI · Issued
Digital Consent Acquisition pilot
Operators must run a 3-month pilot, limited to RBI-regulated banks, for collecting customer consent digitally through the operators' consent registration system. It is the base for verifiable consent records.
5 Jun 2025
CCPA · Issued
CCPA advisory on dark patterns self-audit
CCPA asked e-commerce platforms and online service providers to self-audit for dark patterns within three months. By 20 November 2025, 26 platforms had sent self-declarations, according to the ministry.
8 May 2025
RBI · Issued
RBI Digital Lending Directions, 2025
In force at once. When a recovery agent is assigned or changed after default, the borrower must be sent the agent's details by email or SMS before the agent makes contact. The directions were withdrawn on 28 November 2025 and the rules now sit in each lender type's Credit Facilities Directions, 2025.
26 Mar 2025
CERT-In · Issued
CERT-In best practices for generative AI (CIAD-2025-0013)
Best practices against vulnerabilities in generative AI solutions, such as data poisoning, adversarial attacks, prompt injection and model stealing.
About 14 Mar 2025
TRAI · Takes effect
Date being verified
TCCCPR Second Amendment: most changes apply
30 days after Gazette publication; the date assumes publication on 12 February 2025, which we have not confirmed. Most changes apply, including the ban on ordinary 10-digit numbers for telemarketing. Other changes followed after 60 days.
12 Feb 2025
TRAI · Issued
TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025
Telemarketing moved off ordinary 10-digit numbers: 140 for promotional calls, 1600 for service and transactional calls. Auto-dialler and robo-call use must be disclosed, and repeat offenders lose all telecom resources for a year.
17 Jan 2025
RBI · Issued
RBI circular on frauds using voice calls and SMS
Banks, NBFCs and other regulated entities must make service and transactional calls from 1600 numbers once available and promotional calls only from 140 numbers, and follow TRAI's rules.
16 Jan 2025
ECI · Issued
Date being verified
ECI advisory on labelling AI-generated campaign content (reported)
According to news reports (the advisory text was not found), ECI asked parties to label AI-generated or altered images, video and audio as "AI-Generated", "Digitally Enhanced" or "Synthetic Content".
3 Jan 2025
MeitY · Consultation
Draft DPDP Rules, 2025
MeitY published the draft rules for comment, with the deadline later extended to 5 March 2025.
23 Dec 2024
DoT · Issued
DoT allocates the 1600 series
DoT's letter of 23 December 2024 reserved the 1600 series exclusively for service and transactional calls by government and BFSI entities, as recorded in TRAI's Direction of 16 December 2025.
27 Nov 2024
CERT-In · Issued
CERT-In advisory on deepfakes (CIAD-2024-0060)
Advisory on deepfake threats and countermeasures. It covers fake audio as well as video and images, and lists detection tools, but does not mention voice cloning by name.
21 Nov 2024
DoT · Issued
Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024
Bars misuse of phone numbers and telecom services for fraud, cheating or impersonation, and lets the government direct operators to stop such misuse.
30 Sep 2024
TRAI · Deadline
140-series calls must run on DLT
Promotional calls from 140 numbers must run end to end on the DLT platform and be checked against customer preferences and consent.
5 Sep 2024
IRDAI · Issued
IRDAI master circular on protection of policyholders
Insurers and their channels are responsible for how policies are sold, and commercial calls must meet TRAI's rules. It repeals the older circulars on pre-issuance verification calls.
28 Aug 2024
TRAI · Consultation
Consultation on reviewing the TCCCPR
TRAI consulted on changes to the spam-call rules, covering definitions, complaints, detection, penalties and bulk calling. It led to the February 2025 amendment.
20 Aug 2024
TRAI · Issued
Directions on 140 calls on DLT and link whitelisting
140-series promotional calls had to move fully onto the DLT platform by 30 September 2024. SMS carrying links or call-back numbers that are not whitelisted are blocked.
20 Aug 2024
SEBI · Issued
SEBI Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF)
One cyber security framework for SEBI-regulated entities, including rules on third-party vendor risk that reach outsourced calling and AI vendors. Its compliance deadlines were later extended.
13 Aug 2024
TRAI · Issued
Stop promotional calls from unregistered senders on SIP/PRI
Promotional calls, including pre-recorded and computer-generated calls, from unregistered senders over SIP, PRI or other lines must stop. Offenders lose all telecom resources and can be blacklisted for up to 2 years.
26 Jun 2024
DoT · Takes effect
Date being verified
Telecommunications Act, 2023 first provisions in force
Section 28 of the Act lets the government make rules on prior consent for specified (promotional) messages and Do Not Disturb registers. Reports say it was among the sections brought into force on 26 June 2024; the commencement notification was not reviewed here.
6 May 2024
ECI · Issued
ECI advisory on responsible use of social media
ECI letter 491/SM_SOP/2024: parties must not publish deepfake audio or video on their social media handles, and must take such content down within 3 hours of it coming to their notice.
4 May 2024
TRAI · Issued
Direction to put 140 and 160 calls on DLT
Operators had to build the DLT system for promotional (140) and service (160) calls. TRAI noted that banks and insurers were using ordinary numbers for promotional calls without consent checks.
1 Apr 2024
IRDAI · Takes effect
IRDAI policyholder protection regulations take effect
The 2024 regulations on protecting policyholders, covering insurers and all their sales channels, come into force.
22 Mar 2024
IRDAI · Issued
IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders' Interests) Regulations, 2024
New regulations on how insurers and intermediaries sell and service policies were published in the Gazette.
23 Feb 2024
TRAI · Issued
TRAI recommends caller name display (CNAP)
TRAI recommended caller name display on request of the called subscriber, using the name in the caller's connection records, with businesses able to show a preferred name such as a trademark or trade name. DoT's 2026 circular made it default-on instead.
This page summarises public rules and is not legal advice. Where an official source is online, the entry links to it; check the source before you rely on it. More tools and guides are in Resources.