The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a pivotal Direction mandating a phase-wise migration to the ‘1600’ calling series for all entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). This move aims to strengthen consumer protection, build trust, and curb financial fraud conducted through spoofed or misleading voice calls.
The ‘1600’ series, assigned by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has been specially earmarked for Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) institutions and select Government bodies. The unique series will help citizens easily identify legitimate service and transactional calls from trustworthy, regulated financial institutions—addressing a long-standing challenge of impersonation and scam calls.
Background: Why the ‘1600’ Series?
TRAI has increasingly focused on combating spam, fraudulent calls, and digital impersonation. The introduction of the ‘1600’ series is part of its broader strategy to improve caller identity assurance.
Since the DoT assigned numbering resources to operators, TRAI has held continuous consultations with Telecom Service Providers and BFSI regulators. As a result of these collaborative efforts:
- 485 entities have already adopted the 1600 series
- Over 2800 numbers have been issued so far
With substantial progress achieved, TRAI has now deemed it necessary to set mandatory, time-bound deadlines for complete migration away from standard 10-digit commercial calling numbers.
Key Provisions: Phase-Wise Adoption Deadlines
The implementation schedule has been finalised based on inputs from BFSI regulators during meetings of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR).
A. SEBI-Regulated Entities
| Category | Deadline |
| Mutual Funds & Asset Management Companies (AMCs) | 15 February 2026 |
| Qualified Stockbrokers (QSBs) | 15 March 2026 |
| Other SEBI-registered intermediaries | Voluntary migration for now |
B. RBI-Regulated Entities
| Category | Deadline |
| Commercial Banks (PSBs, Private Banks, Foreign Banks) | 1 January 2026 |
| Large NBFCs (>₹5000 crore AUM), Payments Banks, Small Finance Banks | 1 February 2026 |
| Remaining NBFCs, Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks, small entities | 1 March 2026 |
C. PFRDA-Regulated Entities
| Category | Deadline |
| Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) & Pension Fund Managers | 15 February 2026 |
Insurance Sector Next
TRAI has clarified that the deadline for insurance sector entities, regulated by IRDAI, will be notified separately after ongoing discussions.
Impact: Safer Communication and Lower Fraud Risk
The mandated adoption of the ‘1600’ series is expected to:
- Significantly curb impersonation-based financial fraud
- Help consumers instantly recognise legitimate calls from regulated entities
- Reduce harassment from spam and phishing attempts
- Strengthen digital and telecom trust in financial services
- Improve traceability and accountability of outbound service calls
By enforcing structured, phase-wise migration, TRAI seeks to bring uniformity and authenticity to outbound communication from financial institutions.