Assigned by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the 1600-series is intended to help citizens reliably identify service and transactional calls from banks, mutual funds, pension managers and other regulated BFSI entities. TRAI’s Direction sets firm deadlines and a phase-wise implementation schedule after consultations with regulators and industry stakeholders.
Phone-based impersonation and caller-ID spoofing have been widely used to perpetrate financial fraud. By reserving a distinct numbering block for regulated financial service calls, TRAI expects consumers to more readily distinguish genuine institutional communications from fraudulent ones. The measure complements existing anti-fraud steps taken by telecom operators and financial regulators.
So far, around 485 entities have voluntarily taken up the 1600-series, subscribing to over 2,800 numbers. TRAI said the time has come to make the transition mandatory to ensure uniformity and wider public protection.
Phase-wise deadlines and scope
The Direction lays out specific timelines for different regulator categories, reflecting operational realities and stakeholder inputs. Key provisions include:
- SEBI-regulated entities: Mutual Funds and Asset Management Companies (AMCs) must complete migration by 15 February 2026. Qualified Stockbrokers (QSBs) must onboard by 15 March 2026. Other SEBI intermediaries may migrate voluntarily after verification.
- RBI-regulated entities: Commercial banks (public, private, foreign) must adopt 1600-series by 1 January 2026. Large NBFCs (asset size > ₹5,000 crore), Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks have until 1 February 2026. Remaining NBFCs, cooperative banks and regional rural banks must onboard by 1 March 2026.
- PFRDA-regulated entities: Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) and Pension Fund Managers must complete onboarding by 15 February 2026. The insurance sector timelines are under discussion with IRDAI and will be notified later.
Enforcement and compliance
TRAI’s Direction includes compliance mechanisms and coordination with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). Entities that fail to subscribe to the 1600-series by the respective deadlines could face restrictions on initiating service or transactional voice calls. TRAI has also outlined measures to address unregistered telemarketing and misuse under applicable regulatory provisions.
The regulator underlined that the Direction follows discussions in the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR) and extensive stakeholder consultations, aiming for a practical yet time-bound rollout.
Industry reaction and next steps
The industry reaction has been broadly positive, with consumer-safety groups and major financial players welcoming a clear identifier for transactional calls. Telecom operators, who will allocate the ranges, have been engaged throughout the process to ensure numbering resources and routing are in place.
TRAI has directed continued coordination with RBI, SEBI and PFRDA to monitor adoption. The regulator also encouraged citizens to stay alert and prefer calls from the 1600-series for transactional or service-related matters once implemented.
For the full text of TRAI’s Direction and accompanying press release, readers can consult the official TRAI release and the Press Information Bureau statement.