TRAI's 2025 update reveals a major escalation against spam, issuing 731,120 notices to unregistered telemarketers and disconnecting 184,482 resources. Consumer complaints hit 31.09 lakh, with DND app installations growing 84%.
Significant Scale-Up in Regulatory Action
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its annual update on the enforcement of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) and consumer engagement under the Do Not Disturb (DND) ecosystem for the year 2025, highlighting a significant scale-up in regulatory action against spam telemarketing, a statement from the Ministry of Communications said. During 2025, 7,31,120 notices were issued to unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) found in violation of UCC norms. As part of progressive enforcement measures, 4,73,075 entities were subjected to one-month communication restrictions, while 89,936 repeat offenders faced six-month communication caps. In addition, 1,84,482 telecom resources were disconnected during the year for continued non-compliance.
Cumulatively, since August 2024, over 21.05 lakh telecom resources have been disconnected, reflecting intensified efforts to curb persistent spam networks and strengthen compliance across the telecom ecosystem. The enforcement action is supported with sustained efforts to encourage consumers to report spam. In 2025, a total of 31.09 lakh UCC complaints were registered across all channels. Of these, 17.06 lakh complaints - over half - were submitted through the DND application, underscoring increased consumer participation in reporting unsolicited communications, a statement from the Ministry of Communications added.
Enhanced Consumer Participation Drives Enforcement
Commenting on the development, Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, TRAI, stated: "TRAI's enforcement efforts in 2025 are anchored in the principle that consumers should experience perceptible improvement in control of unsolicited commercial communications. Enhanced consumer participation through the DND ecosystem has enabled faster identification of violations and more decisive action against persistent offenders."
Monthly data indicate that complaints against unregistered telemarketers consistently accounted for the overwhelming majority of reported cases throughout the year, significantly outnumbering complaints against registered telemarketers. This trend reinforces TRAI's focus on targeting unauthorised and non-compliant entities operating outside the regulatory framework.
TRAI's Dual Strategy and DND Ecosystem Growth
TRAI has adopted a two-pronged strategy that enables legitimate, consent-based commercial communications through registered entities, while simultaneously deploying regulatory, technological and enforcement measures, such as DLT (blockchain)-based registration, AI-led spam detection, mandatory use of designated number series, strengthened complaint mechanisms and disconnection of non-compliant senders, to curb unsolicited communications from unregistered entities.
The DND ecosystem has also seen a significant increase in adoption. DND app installations grew by 84.43% year-on-year in 2025, rising to 28.08 lakh cumulative installations, compared to 15.22 lakh in 2024. The combination of increased consumer reporting and strengthened enforcement mechanisms has enabled faster identification of violators and more decisive regulatory action.
Commitment to Protecting Consumer Interests
The Authority reiterates its commitment to protecting consumer interests, ensuring transparency, and raising the consequences of non-compliance for entities engaged in unsolicited commercial communication, while continuing to refine the DND framework in collaboration with stakeholders. (ANI)
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