New Delhi. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has tightened its anti‑spam framework, imposing tougher rules on businesses and telemarketers that flood users with unsolicited commercial calls and texts.

Under the updated regulations, every telecom service provider will be obliged to deploy AI‑powered and machine‑learning filters that can spot abnormal calling patterns and flag suspicious commercial communications in real time.

Five Numbers in Ten Days Can Trigger Disconnection

If five or more numbers linked to the same spammer are identified within a ten‑day window, the provider may terminate the connection and place the offending entity on a blacklist for up to one year, following the prescribed procedural safeguards.

TRAI has also introduced a levy of 5 paise per minute on automated calls, adding a financial deterrent for large‑scale robo‑dialing operations.

Misuse of Business Numbers and Message Templates Will Be Policed

Operators must act when a registered business number or a pre‑approved message template is abused. If a telemarketer is found responsible, the action can extend to all other numbers associated with that marketer, potentially resulting in a blanket blacklist.

Consumers dissatisfied with a resolution can file an appeal within 15 days. Appeals may be lodged via the DND app, the telecom operator’s own app or portal, or by dialing 1909.

Prior Disclosure Required for Automated Calls

The revised rules also cover auto‑dialers, robocalls and calls that use pre‑recorded or AI‑generated voices. Such calls must include a clear pre‑call disclosure informing the recipient.

TRAI further clarified that call‑management apps cannot blanket‑block entire commercial series such as 1600 and 1601 merely because of their prefix.

These new measures aim to bolster surveillance of commercial communication while equipping telecom operators with stronger tools to detect and curb suspected spam activity.