Telecom operators in India will have to display the officially registered name of a caller on the recipient’s phone from November 1, 2026. The measure is intended to help mobile users identify unknown callers and reduce the risk posed by fraudulent calls related to loans, insurance, credit cards and other services.
The requirement follows an amendment to the Unified Licence Agreement that expands the definition of Calling Line Identification (CLI) and introduces the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service.
Under the revised framework, caller identification may include the telephone identifier assigned by the telecom service provider, the subscriber’s name stored in the operator’s records or another form of identification specified by the licensor.
How the caller name will appear
When an incoming call is received, a number already saved in the user’s contacts will continue to appear under the name saved on the device. If the number is not stored, the phone will obtain the caller’s details from the telecom operator’s database and display the registered name.
Calls originating outside India will be marked as an “International Call” on the recipient’s screen.
The amended CLI provisions specifically recognise a subscriber’s registered name as caller identification. The earlier definition referred to identification through a telephone number, an IP address or another specified identifier.
Initial rollout on newer networks
CNAP will initially be implemented on 4G and newer-generation mobile networks. Networks operating on older 2G and 3G technologies, as well as traditional landline services, will be considered at a later stage.
The Department of Telecommunications said the amendment has been issued under provisions of the Unified Licence Agreement that permit changes to licence conditions in the public interest, for national security and for the effective functioning of telecommunication services.
The revised definition replaces the existing provision in the Unified Licence Agreement and will come into force on November 1, 2026.
The updated definition states that Calling Line Identification means the telecommunication identifier assigned to a calling user by the licensee providing the service, the user’s name recorded in the subscriber data record, or another identification specified by the licensor from time to time.
Service depends on telecom databases
The system will depend on telecom companies maintaining databases that link phone numbers with the verified names submitted by subscribers while obtaining their SIM cards. When a call is placed, the receiving network will access the relevant database to retrieve and display the caller’s identity.
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