Mandating clear completion timelines, it said commercial banks, including PSBs, pvt sector bks, and foreign banks, should onboard by January 1, 2026

PTI New Delhi

TRAI on Wednesday mandated clear deadlines for phase-wise adoption of dedicated '1600' numbering series to be used by regulated entities such as banks, NBFCs, mutual funds and others for making service and transactional calls, in a bid to curb impersonation-based financial frauds perpetrated through voice calls. Mandating clear completion timelines, it said commercial banks, including public sector banks, private sector banks, and foreign banks, should onboard by January 1, 2026.

"TRAI today issued a direction mandating the last dates by which adoption of the '1600' numbering series should be completed by entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)," TRAI said in a release. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) further the 1600-series direction has been issued to enhance consumer trust, curbing spam, and preventing fraudulent activities perpetrated through voice calls.

It is pertinent to mention that '1600' numbering series has been assigned by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for allocation to entities in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector, and government organisations to clearly distinguish their service and transactional calls from other commercial communications.