The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a pilot initiative aimed at empowering telecom customers to digitally review, manage, and revoke consent previously given for promotional calls and SMS messages. This pilot, part of the broader Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) programme, is being conducted in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and involves multiple telecom service providers and major banks.
Why This Pilot Matters
India’s regulatory framework already allows users to block unwanted promotional communications and customise which sectors can contact them. However, a major challenge has been the inability for customers to view or revoke legacy consents that were collected offline or through disparate systems, leading to fragmented and opaque practices. The new pilot aims to address this by moving consent management to a unified digital platform.
Under the existing Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, businesses must record consent for sending promotional communications. But because millions of such consents were collected over the years without a standard digital mechanism, users had no easy way to see or modify their preferences. This pilot tests a solution to fill that gap.
How the Pilot Works
Selected customers whose legacy consents have been uploaded to the digital system will receive an SMS notification from a short code (127000) sent by their respective telecom provider. Each SMS will include a secure link to a Consent Management Page, where users can view all recorded consents tied to their phone number. From there, they can choose to continue, modify, or revoke any consent for promotional communications.
The pilot involves nine telecom operators and eleven major banks, including large national and private banks, which have already integrated their systems with the digital consent platform. Only a limited subset of customers will receive these messages initially, as the goal is to test system readiness and usability before a full rollout.
Greater Consumer Control and Transparency
By digitising consent management, TRAI hopes to enhance transparency and empower users to take control of how and when they receive promotional communications from businesses and financial institutions. The digital platform is expected to make the process simpler and more secure, eliminating the need to manually contact companies or rely on outdated opt-out systems.
Users do not need to take action if they do not receive an SMS, as the pilot is limited in scope. However, if they do receive one, they can easily manage their preferences online through the secure portal. Importantly, no personal financial information is required at any stage.
Towards a Nationwide Rollout
TRAI and RBI are using this pilot to validate technical and operational aspects of the unified digital consent system. If successful, the initiative will be expanded nationwide, aligning with broader efforts to modernise consent practices in India’s telecom and financial sectors.
Overall, the pilot marks a significant step in enhancing consumer privacy and choice in the digital communications ecosystem.
