The Union government's efforts to curb the growing menace of spam calls and unsolicited commercial communications (UCC) blocked about 1.48bn (billion) promotional calls and 7.3bn promotional SMS during the April-June quarter of FY26-27 through registered do-not-disturb (DND) preferences.
At the same time, authorities intensified enforcement by acting against 183,000 telecom resources and blacklisting 263 senders for violating telecom regulations.
In
a release, the Union ministry of communications said the enforcement drive targeted multiple layers of the spam ecosystem, including outgoing call barring, long-term disconnection of telecom resources, sender blacklisting across all telecom operators and blocking SMS headers to prevent repeat violations.
The ministry said registered DND preferences demonstrated the effectiveness of consumer choice in filtering unwanted communications. However, it noted that more than 1.12bn mobile subscribers have not yet registered any DND preferences, leaving them open to promotional communications from registered telemarketers and businesses.
According to the ministry, telecom networks originated 730.82bn calls during the first quarter of FY26-27, while telecom operators received 1.085mn (million) complaints related to unsolicited commercial communications, translating into about 1.5 complaints per one million (10 lakh) calls.
The telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) DND App emerged as the primary complaint platform, accounting for 89% of all UCC complaints received by telecom service providers.
AI Flags Suspected Spam
The government also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in tackling spam. AI-based spam detection systems flagged 24.43bn suspected spam calls and SMS, enabling consumers to either ignore such communications or respond with greater caution.
As part of the latest enforcement mechanism, authorities issued more than 243,000 warning notifications to suspected senders within one week of launching the warning notification system.
While blocking unwanted communications, the telecom ecosystem also facilitated legitimate commercial messaging. During the quarter, about 13.16bn promotional calls and 248.06bn commercial SMS were delivered through registered communication channels after being verified against subscribers' communication preferences.
Consumers Urged To Register DND Preferences
The ministry urged consumers wishing to exercise greater control over promotional communications to register or modify their DND preferences using the TRAI DND App, their telecom service provider's mobile application or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909.
To help consumers distinguish promotional calls from other communications, TRAI has introduced the dedicated 140 numbering series for promotional calls. Calls originating from these numbers are pre-verified against customers' DND preferences before being delivered, allowing subscribers to decide whether to answer or ignore them.
Similarly, the 1600 numbering series has been earmarked for service and transactional calls originating from entities in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector, as well as for government-to-citizen communications.
The Tukaram Mundhe Effect: When Enforcement Becomes Credible
Sucheta Dalal,
07 August 2026
Across Maharashtra, restaurant and club kitchens are being steam-cleaned and scrubbed, pest-control contractors summoned and food storage practices reviewed with great urgency. After elite clubs and storied shops were raided and shut,...
FSSAI Bars Sale of Dabur's '100%' Claim Products, Alleges Repeated Non-compliance with Advertising Norms
Moneylife Digital Team
04 August 2026
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order against Dabur India Ltd, directing the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturer to immediately stop selling a range of food products...
FSSAI Acts against Old Monk, McDowell's, Royal Challenge and Other Liquor Brands over Identical Flavours and Misleading Labels
Moneylife Digital Team
04 August 2026
The food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that its recent enforcement action against several alcoholic beverage manufacturers is aimed at preventing the use of flavouring substances that mimic the inherent...
SEBI Retains ₹5 Lakh Penalty on Safe Trading's Mohit Gupta in Unregistered Investment Advisory
Moneylife Digital Team
03 August 2026
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reaffirmed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on Mohit Gupta, proprietor of Safe Trading, after reconsidering the matter pursuant to an order of the securities appellate tribunal...
