The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken a major step to enhance consumer safety. All organizations under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) will now be mandatorily required to use '1600' series numbers. These numbers must be used when making phone calls to customers regarding services and transactions.
TRAI issued this directive on December 16. The deadline for implementing this new rule has been set for February 15, 2026. TRAI has stated that this decision was finalized after consultation with IRDAI. TRAI has announced that the main objective of this initiative is to increase customer trust. Additionally, it aims to reduce fake phone calls, spam calls, and fraudulent calls.
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Often, fraudsters use the names of reputed insurance or financial institutions to mislead people. With the use of the new 1600 series numbers, such fraud will be significantly reduced. When calls come from similar types of numbers, ordinary people will easily understand which call is coming from a genuine organization.
Earlier, similar directives were issued for organizations under the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
TRAI has stated that regular discussions have been held with telecom service providers and BFSI regulators on this matter. As a result, approximately 570 organizations have already moved to the 1600 series. Through these organizations, the use of more than three thousand numbers has already begun. TRAI has further stated that as this rule is implemented in phases, customer protection will become much stronger. This is an important step to prevent financial fraud through voice calls.
