DoT mandates Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) on 4G and newer networks from November 1, 2026

Key facts

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through a circular dated October 13, 2026, directed telecom operators to roll out Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) across 4G and newer wireless networks from November 1, 2026, without requiring users to make a separate activation request.
• CNAP will display the caller's phone number along with the name drawn from the originating operator's subscriber database, but if the number is saved in the recipient's contacts, the saved name takes priority.
• Unsaved international calls will display 'International Call' instead of the caller's name; an international call is defined as one originating in one country and terminating in another, where one of the countries is India.
• Callers who have opted for Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) under existing guidelines will not have their names displayed.
• The initial rollout covers 4G and newer networks; implementation on 2G, 3G networks and landline (public switched telephone network) services will be examined separately.
• Businesses and bulk-connection users may display a 'preferred name' instead of their subscriber-record name, provided it is a trademark registered with the Trade Marks Registry or a trade name registered on the GST portal, verified by the originating operator.
• Operators must adopt a 'security-by-design' approach ensuring the caller's name is not retained after the call ends, and must resolve CNAP-related complaints through grievance redressal mechanisms within a time-bound period.
• The circular cites TRAI's recommendations dated February 23, 2024, and earlier DoT instructions dated November 21, 2025 on KYC issues, which it supersedes, and references the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026.