TRAI Fixes Feb 15 Deadline For 1600-Series Adoption by IRDAI Entities
TRAI mandates IRDAI-regulated entities adopt 1600-series numbers to help consumers identify genuine service calls.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed all entities regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to adopt the dedicated '1600' numbering series for outbound service and transactional voice calls by February 15, 2026. This mandate, issued on December 16, 2025, in consultation with IRDAI, requires insurance companies and related entities to transition from standard 10-digit mobile numbers to the specialised series to help consumers distinguish legitimate calls from potential frauds.
The '1600' series, allocated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is intended exclusively for regulated entities in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector as well as Government Organisations. By using these numbers—beginning with 1600—callers from authorised institutions can be more easily identified, reducing the risk of impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as representatives of trusted insurers to extract sensitive information or funds.
This directive builds on TRAI's ongoing efforts to combat unsolicited commercial communication and spam calls, following similar phased mandates for entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). As of late 2025, over 570 regulated entities had already subscribed to more than 3,000 numbers in the series, demonstrating growing adoption across the financial sector.
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The structured timeline, developed through deliberations in the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR), aims to enhance consumer protection and trust in voice communications from the insurance industry. TRAI emphasised that full compliance will significantly curb fraudulent activities while ensuring seamless service delivery for policyholders and customers.
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