Centre expands caller ID rules to include registered subscriber names from Nov 1

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) The Centre has amended the Unified Licence Agreement to include subscribers' registered names in the definition of Calling Line Identification (CLI), with the revised rules set to take effect from November 1, 2026.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through an order dated October 13, has expanded the existing definition to cover three alternative forms of identification: a telecommunication identifier assigned to the calling user by the service provider, the user's name recorded in subscriber data records, or any other identification specified by the licensing authority from time to time. Under the earlier definition, CLI referred to the identity of the calling or originating subscriber through a telephone number assigned under the International Telecommunication Union's E.164 numbering standard, an IP address or any other identification prescribed by the licensing authority.

The amendment, issued as Unified Licence Amendment No. 01/Licensing Policy/2026 under file number 20-1349/2024 AS-I, explicitly brings registered subscriber names within the scope of caller identification under the licence agreement. The government has exercised its powers under Condition 5.1 of Chapter I of the Unified Licence Agreement, which allows modification of licensing terms in the public interest, in the interest of national security or for the proper conduct of telecommunications.

The order, signed by Vishal Srivastava, Director (Licensing Policy Authorisation), has been addressed to all Unified Licensees. The department clarified that the revised definition will form part of the Unified Licence Agreement, while all other terms and conditions will remain unchanged. The amendment changes the regulatory definition of caller identification but does not specify technical implementation requirements, handset compatibility or a nationwide rollout schedule. The order establishes registered subscriber names as an expressly recognised form of caller identification within India's telecom licensing framework, with the revised definition taking effect on November 1.

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