INDIA SET TO END THE ANONYMITY OF UNKNOWN CALLS WITH MANDATORY CALLER-NAME DISPLAY
October 16, 2026
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 16: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators across India to introduce mandatory caller-name display from November 1, 2026, in a move aimed at curbing spam calls, cyber fraud and deceptive telephone communications.
Under the new directive, the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service will display a caller’s name alongside their telephone number on the recipient’s screen. The facility will be introduced automatically, without requiring users to register separately, and will initially cover wireless networks operating on 4G and higher-generation technologies.
For incoming domestic calls from numbers not saved in a recipient’s contact list, the name recorded in the originating telecom operator’s subscriber database will be displayed. If the number is already saved, the recipient’s stored contact name will appear instead. Incoming international calls from unsaved numbers will be identified as “International Call”.
The directive applies to telecom service providers holding the relevant licences or authorisations across India’s service areas. The government will consider extending the facility to 2G, 3G and landline networks separately at a later stage.
The rules also provide provisions for eligible businesses and bulk-connection users to display a verified preferred name instead of the name recorded in their subscriber records. Such names must be supported by qualifying trademark registration or a trade name registered on the Goods and Services Tax portal, subject to verification by the telecom operator.
However, the system will retain an exception for subscribers who have activated the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility in accordance with existing guidelines. Their caller-name identity will not be displayed.
To address privacy concerns, telecom operators must adopt security safeguards ensuring that the caller-name identity is not retained after the incoming call ends. They are also required to maintain network performance and establish grievance-redressal mechanisms for users facing problems with the service.
The initiative marks a significant change in India's mobile communication system, seeking to make incoming calls more transparent and help users identify unfamiliar callers before answering. Its effectiveness in reducing fraudulent and unsolicited communications will depend on accurate subscriber records, proper implementation and enforcement of the prescribed safeguards.
