TRAI has clarified that the 140 and 1600 number series are dedicated for verified commercial communications and should not be tagged, blocked or filtered by third-party caller ID apps
Truecaller has opposed the proposal, arguing that restricting spam labels on these numbers weakens consumer protection as spam and scam calls from the designated series have increased
The dispute could move to the next stage if MeitY authorises TRAI to regulate caller ID and call management apps under its commercial communication framework
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has clarified the purpose of the 140 and 1600 number series after a public disagreement with caller identification platform Truecaller over spam labelling and caller identification.
The clarification comes days after Truecaller criticised TRAI’s draft Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026, arguing they would prevent caller ID apps from flagging spam calls originating from these number series.
Earlier, media reports said TRAI had sought authorisation from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to regulate call management apps such as Truecaller.
The telecom regulator, in a statement today, said recent media reports could create confusion about the purpose of the dedicated number series. It reiterated that the 1600 series is reserved exclusively for service and transaction-related calls from banks, financial institutions, government departments and other regulated entities to their existing customers or citizens.
Under the draft regulations, call management apps would not be allowed to independently tag, block or filter such calls. Consumers who do not wish to receive these calls can block them through the do not disturb (DND) service.
What’s The Dispute?
The controversy stems from the draft regulations released for public consultations in March. The draft proposes that call management applications should not tag, block, filter or otherwise alter calls originating from designated commercial communication number series, including 140 and 1600.
Truecaller has opposed the proposal, arguing that these number series have increasingly become a source of spam and scam calls, and restricting caller ID apps prevents consumers from identifying suspicious calls.
What Are The 1600 Numbers?
According to TRAI, the 1600 series has been created as a verified channel for critical service and transaction-related communications.
These numbers can be used only by:
- Banks and financial institutions regulated by RBI
- Entities regulated by SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA
- Government departments for citizen services
The objective is to ensure reliable delivery of communications such as OTPs, banking alerts, account updates and government notifications. TRAI said allowing third-party apps to label or block these calls could undermine consumer trust in the verified communication channel.
What Are The 140 Numbers?
The 140 series is reserved for promotional or telemarketing calls from entities registered under TRAI’s commercial communication framework.
Consumers can choose to:
- Receive promotional calls from all sectors
- Allow calls only from selected sectors
- Block promotional calls completely through the DND registry
TRAI said telecom operators already enforce these preferences. Therefore, call management apps should not separately tag or filter 140-series calls, as that could conflict with the user’s chosen DND settings.
Why Is Truecaller Opposing It?
Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala said the restrictions do not reflect the ground reality, claiming spam calls from the 140 and 1600 series have increased after the company was barred from displaying community-reported spam information for these numbers.
In a long post on X, he said more than 51 Mn calls from the two number series go unanswered every day. According to him, users ignored 81% of 140-series calls and 79% of 1600-series calls over the past eight months.
Calling the reported move to regulate caller ID apps “unacceptable”, Jhunjhunwala said, “Penalise the bad actors, not the ones like Truecaller that make a significant positive impact.” He added that the company would share its data with MeitY to support a data-driven decision.
TRAI has maintained that the dedicated numbering system is intended to improve trust in legitimate commercial communications and that third-party apps should not override it by independently tagging or filtering calls.
If MeitY grants the requested authorisation, TRAI could gain the authority to regulate caller ID and call management apps such as Truecaller under its commercial communication framework.
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