Combating spam: TRAI sets deadlines for '1600' number adoption by financial institutions

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday issued a directive setting deadlines for the mandatory adoption of the ‘1600’ numbering series by entities in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector, as well as government organisations. The move aims to clearly distinguish legitimate service and transactional calls from other commercial communications, thereby curbing spam and preventing phone-based fraud.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated the ‘1600’ series for use by BFSI entities regulated by the RBI, SEBI and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), along with government bodies. The designated series will help citizens reliably identify authentic calls from regulated financial institutions, TRAI said in an official statement.

According to the directive, all Mutual Funds and Asset Management Companies (AMCs) must adopt the 1600 series by 15 February 2026, while Qualified Stockbrokers (QSBs) must complete migration by 15 March 2026. Other SEBI-registered intermediaries may voluntarily shift to the series after verification of their registration details.

Commercial banks — including public, private and foreign banks- are required to transition to the 1600 series by January 1, 2026. Large NBFCs with an asset size above Rs 5,000 crore, along with Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks, must adopt the series by February 1, 2026. Remaining NBFCs, Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks and smaller financial entities must follow by March 1, 2026. Central record-keeping agencies and Pension Fund Managers are required to be onboarded by February 15, 2026.

TRAI said discussions with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) are ongoing, and adoption deadlines for insurance-sector entities will be announced separately.

A structured, time-bound rollout of the 1600 series is expected to significantly enhance consumer safety and reduce impersonation-based financial fraud carried out through voice calls.

TRAI noted that following engagement with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and BFSI regulators, around 485 entities have already adopted the 1600 series, with more than 2,800 numbers assigned so far.

The regulator said the time is right to mandate full adoption, as many entities still use standard 10-digit numbers for transactional and service calls, increasing the risk of fraudsters impersonating trusted institutions.

The implementation schedule, TRAI added, was finalised after consultations with BFSI regulators through the Joint Committee of Regulators.

IANS