TRAI SMS Rules: According to new regulations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), it will be mandatory to add a suffix to all promotional, service, and transactional SMS messages starting May 6, 2025. This new rule is designed to increase transparency for consumers and reduce confusion. Telecom operators will automatically add these suffixes, so users do not need to take any action themselves.
TRAI’s New Regulations:
This new directive from TRAI, part of the TCCCPR 2025 Amendment, will help mobile users identify the type of message they are receiving. This will empower them to protect themselves from unsolicited and fraudulent messages. A specific suffix will be added to the end of each SMS header, determined by the template registered on the DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) platform.
Key Changes:
- Automated Suffixes: The DLT system and SMS service providers will automatically apply the suffix to the header during message delivery. No customer action is required.
- Message Classification:
- -P (Promotional): Used for promotional messages.
- -S (Service): For service-related messages.
- -T (Transactional): For messages like financial transactions or OTPs.
- -G (Government): For government-authorized messages.
- Discontinuation of ‘Service Explicit’ Category: All templates under this category will be migrated to the ‘Promotional’ category and will automatically receive the ‘-P’ suffix.
- Branded Headers: Users can continue to send promotional SMS using their existing alphanumeric headers.
Benefits for Consumers:
This new rule will allow consumers to easily understand the nature of a message. For example, if a message header ends with ‘-P’, it will be clear that it is a promotional message. Similarly, a ‘-T’ will indicate an important transactional message. This will make consumers more aware and help them avoid falling victim to scams.
Additional Regulatory Enhancements:
Further new rules have been effective since April 11, 2025. A key change is that non-DND users now have a 7-day window to report Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC), extended from the previous 3 days. Additionally, stricter controls have been placed on unregistered telemarketers.
These steps will make the SMS communication ecosystem in India more transparent and secure. Consumer protection is the primary goal of TRAI’s new regulations.
