TRAI releases clarifications regarding functioning of designated 1600 series and 140 series

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued clarifications on the use of 1600xx and 140xx series telephone numbers. 1600xx numbers are mandated for service and transaction calls by entities in the BFSI sector (regulated by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA) and for government‑to‑citizen communications; under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR), any tagging, blocking or filtering of such calls is prohibited. 140xx numbers are designated for promotional calls by entities of any sector; users must register with service providers under TCCCPR and can block promotional calls via the Do‑Not‑Disturb (DND) registry. Tagging or filtering of 140xx calls is allowed only through DND blocking.