From 1 November, Domestic 4G and 5G Calls Will Show the Caller's Registered Name
The Department of Telecommunications has ordered operators to show the registered name of domestic callers by default on 4G and 5G networks from 1 November 2026.
From 1 November 2026, mobile operators must show the registered name of the person calling domestically by default on 4G and 5G networks. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued the order in a circular dated 13 October 2026, and it applies the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service across all service areas.
The display is automatic. Users are not asked to opt in, and there is no general way to switch the display off. The one exception is for users who have Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) enabled. According to Convergence Now, government bodies aim to help users identify unknown callers and tackle spam and fraudulent calls. The order follows a process that began in March 2022, when DoT first sought the views of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and TRAI's recommendations of February 2024.
Which Networks and Calls the Order Covers
The order covers 4G and higher-generation wireless networks. It does not cover 2G networks, 3G networks or public switched telephone networks, which include landlines. The Tribune and Outlook Money both report that these networks will be considered separately.
Indian Television reports that the directive follows trials conducted by telecom service providers on wireless networks using 4G and higher-generation technologies.
Calls from overseas that are not saved in the recipient's contacts show an international call label instead of a name, according to MediaNama, Outlook Money and Convergence Now. The Tribune says such calls are marked as international.
Numbers already saved in the recipient's contacts keep the name stored on the phone, according to Convergence Now and Indian Television.
MediaNama reports that the circular says nothing about phones, so it is unclear whether every handset will display the names.
How Names Appear for Unsaved Numbers
When a domestic call comes from a number that is not saved in the recipient's contacts, the screen shows the number along with a name drawn from the caller's operator subscriber records. Indian Television describes the screen as showing the caller's telephone number alongside a name.
The Tribune describes the name as the one identified by the operator with which the caller is registered, and lists it after the contact list name in the order of display.
MediaNama says operators collect the name during Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. ThePrint reports that the circular describes it as the name recorded by the caller's operator at the time of that process.
Outlook Money describes the operator databases as linking phone numbers to subscriber names. MediaNama says the name shown is the one in the operator's subscriber records, unless the business option described in the next section applies.
Preferred Names for Business Connections
Businesses with bulk connections can ask for a preferred name to be displayed in place of the subscriber-record name. ThePrint reports that the name must be a trademark registered with the Trade Marks Registry, or a trade name registered on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) portal. MediaNama and The Tribune describe the same two categories.
Convergence Now says that for new connections, applicants must provide original supporting documents and attach verified copies to the application. Indian Television reports that telecom operators verify the proposed name and the supporting documents, and that names are recorded in the customer application form and the subscriber database.
On the trademark condition, The Tribune describes the trademark as registered in the user's name, while Indian Television says it must be registered in the applicant's name.
MediaNama reports that businesses on existing connections can apply to their operator to switch, and that operators must verify original documents and keep copies on record. The Tribune says existing subscribers apply through a process that operators must set up.
ThePrint reports that telecom companies have raised questions about how names would be attributed for connections used by businesses or shared within families.
Who Can Keep Their Name Hidden
Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) is the one exception the order sets out for keeping a name off the screen. The Tribune, Indian Television and ThePrint all report that names of users with CLIR enabled are not displayed.
MediaNama reports that DoT limited CLIR in 2015 to VIPs and government officials, and that other users need a recommendation from senior police officers to get it. Convergence Now describes CLIR as a facility that telecom providers must offer to users, so the two accounts differ on who can use it.
MediaNama also reports that the order gives most users no way to opt out. For most users, therefore, the name in the operator's record is the one shown on an unsaved domestic call.
Users are not asked to opt in, and there is no general way to switch the display off.
Why Operator Records Are the Source
ThePrint reports that a network-based caller name service was floated as an alternative to apps such as Truecaller. It reports that TRAI's 2022 consultation paper said such apps rely on crowdsourced data that may not be reliable, and that operators would need access to a database of verified names.
The policy has been in progress for some time. Indian Television reports that TRAI issued recommendations in February 2024, and that in October 2025 it agreed to make CNAP available by default.
ThePrint reports that TRAI's October 2025 response agreed to make the service default with an opt-out, but that the circular does not mention an option for users to switch the service off.
Wikipedia describes the model in US-based telephone networks, where the caller's name is not carried with the call. The receiving carrier looks up the number in a database and, where another carrier holds the data, pays a lookup fee. Wikipedia gives wholesale rates of about
Spam, Fraud and Privacy Safeguards
The Tribune reports that the CNAP service is aimed at strengthening caller identification and helping curb online fraud.
On data, operators must not retain a calling name after an incoming call ends, according to Convergence Now and Outlook Money. MediaNama reports that the circular requires a security-by-design approach, with non-retention of the caller name identity once the call is complete.
Outlook Money reports that operators must set up measures to receive, record and maintain complaints, and handle them in a time-bound manner. MediaNama says the circular sets no timeline for resolving complaints.
ThePrint reports that the industry has argued some users may have reasons not to share their names.
MediaNama reports that DoT has said it may issue further instructions and clarifications. The order takes effect on 1 November 2026.
