The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reached a significant milestone by successfully implementing a framework that ensures the traceability of all commercial SMS messages. This initiative is a major step towards creating a safer and spam-free messaging ecosystem, marking a key development in TRAI’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers and enhance transparency in commercial messaging systems.

Under this new framework, all Principal Entities (PEs) – which include businesses, banks, government agencies, and other organisations – along with their Telemarketers (TMs), are now required to declare and register their message transmission paths through a blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). This innovative solution ensures the end-to-end traceability of each message, from its origin to delivery, while maintaining data security and preventing delays in SMS delivery.

TRAI advanced SMS traceability with a directive issued on 20 August 2024, mandating traceability of all commercial messages starting 1 November 2024. Due to the scale of implementation, TRAI extended the compliance deadlines to 30 November and then to 10 December 2024.

It allowed time for approximately 113,000 active PEs across sectors, including banking, insurance, healthcare, and real estate, to complete registration and comply with the new regulations. This adjustment helped mitigate potential disruptions and provided sufficient time for all stakeholders to integrate the new system effectively.

In addition, TRAI introduced comprehensive training sessions and seminars for PEs and TMs to ensure they understood the requirements and benefits of the traceability system. This proactive approach helped minimise resistance to the new system, ensuring smoother implementation across sectors.

To ensure successful implementation, TRAI adopted a collaborative approach by working closely with key regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), and government agencies such as NIC, CDAC, and state governments.

These partnerships were crucial in promoting awareness and expediting the declaration and binding process, ensuring that PEs and TMs were well-equipped to integrate into the DLT system.

Access Providers also played a critical role in supporting PEs and TMs during this transition. Through targeted outreach campaigns and providing technical guidance, these providers helped organisations smoothly integrate into the DLT system, facilitating the traceability process.

To avoid disruptions, TRAI introduced a phased enforcement strategy during the initial implementation period. While the chain binding regulations were technically enforced, messages sent through undeclared paths were temporarily allowed but flagged with error codes. These error codes were shared with the concerned PEs to enable them to take corrective action without disrupting critical messages, such as One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and other time-sensitive communications. This consumer-centric approach ensured that vital messaging services continued uninterrupted while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of TRAI, all major PEs have now successfully registered their message transmission chains with Access Providers. As of 11 December 2024, SMS traffic sent through unregistered paths is being rejected, marking the successful culmination of this large-scale initiative.

This initiative not only combats spam but also ensures the integrity and authenticity of commercial communications, a crucial aspect in maintaining trust in the rapidly growing digital economy. This achievement reinforces TRAI’s commitment to combating spam and building consumer trust in telecom services. The traceability initiative complements other anti-spam measures introduced by TRAI, such as disconnecting telecom resources used by spammers, URL whitelisting for SMS, and migrating 140-series telemarketers to DLT platforms.

Looking ahead, TRAI is committed to continuing its efforts to innovate and enforce stringent measures to ensure a safe, transparent, and efficient telecom ecosystem for all stakeholders. Through these initiatives, TRAI aims to further enhance consumer confidence in digital communications while keeping spam at bay.