The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a pilot project in coordination with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and several banks to digitize the process of consumer consent. The initiative comes in response to a growing number of complaints from consumers who report receiving unsolicited commercial calls and messages, despite not giving clear consent.
TRAI found that in many cases, businesses claim to have obtained permission through unverifiable or offline means. Consumers often discover their mobile numbers were shared or misused through misrepresentation or unauthorized data-sharing — a practice that leaves them vulnerable to repeated spam and potential fraud.
Closing the Loopholes in Consent Collection
According to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018, commercial messages are only allowed if the consumer has explicitly given consent, even if their number is not on the Do Not Disturb (DND) list. However, verifying these consents remains a challenge.
To address this, TRAI has introduced digital registration of consent. This allows businesses to securely upload and verify consents through a centralized registry maintained by telecom service providers (TSPs). Once verified, these consents can be reliably used for future communications, helping separate legitimate engagement from spam.
Pilot Project Focuses on Banking Sector
On June 13, 2025, TRAI issued a direction to all telecom providers to begin trialing this framework. The banking sector has been chosen for the initial phase due to its high sensitivity to fraud and financial spam.
The pilot will run under TRAI’s Regulatory Sandbox framework to test the technical, operational, and compliance aspects of the new system. The goal is to create a foundation for full-scale implementation across other sectors such as e-commerce, insurance, and fintech.
Enhancing Consumer Trust and Transparency
This initiative builds on several past efforts by TRAI to empower consumers — from enabling spam complaints against unregistered telemarketers to disconnecting telecom resources used in spamming activities. The focus now is on creating a transparent and interoperable digital ecosystem that upholds consent as a core principle.
TRAI emphasized that it remains committed to protecting consumer interests and will continue to work with regulators and industry partners to build a secure and consumer-friendly digital environment.