SMS Regulations You Must Know to Send SMS in India

Before you can send SMS to your customers in India, there are some guidelines you need to know and follow.

No matter your field, if you must use SMS for business purposes in India, these guidelines are a must-know. 

We understand how helpful SMS can be for your business.

So we’ll run you through the appropriate steps so you can keep using SMS.

This article will cover all the rules you need to know to send bulk SMS in India.

Let’s get started.

What are the rules for sending transactional SMS messages in India?

Here are the major transactional SMS rules you should follow in India:

• Time restriction: You can send transactional messages at any time
• DND number: You can send transaction messages to Do Not Disturb (DND) numbers
• Sender ID: Six-character ID that represents your brand name
• Content template: Transactional messages need registration for your content templates.

Transactional SMSes are non-marketing and non-promotional text messages you send to your customers.

These SMSes contain critical information for your audience during their customer journey. 

Your customers stay updated on their recent purchases, OTPs, or services they used.

A transactional SMS should not contain any marketing or promotional content.

Now, let’s look at some of the regulations you should know before sending transactional SMS in India.

The second kind of text message is promotional SMS. 

Transactional and promotional SMSes vary in their purpose and their target audience. 

Let’s go through the rules guiding promotional SMS in India.

What are the rules for sending promotional SMS messages in India?

Here are the major promotional SMS rules you should follow in India: 

• Time restriction: You can send Monday through Sunday between 9 AM to 9 PM
• DND number: You cannot send promotional messages to DND numbers
• Sender ID: A 6-digit sender ID – one auto prefix, and the client decides the other digits
• Content template(s): You need to get your promotional messages template registered 
• Opt-out instructions: You must provide your customers with the option to block or opt-out from receiving promotional SMS

Promotional SMSes are messages you send to your customers about promotions or discounts.

With these messages, you can push new products and engage your customers.

These guidelines and rules prioritise your customers’ security and interest. So it’s vital that you thoroughly understand these rules. 

SMS timing is an important aspect to consider. Let’s see why.

What are the SMS timing regulations in India?

Here are the basic regulations on SMS timing:

• Transactional SMS timing: You can send transactional SMS 24×7 at any time.
• Promotional SMS timing: You can send promotional SMS from Monday through Sunday only between 9 AM to 9 PM. SMS outside this time range get queued and delivered the next day.

It can annoy your customers when they get messages from your brand at wrong times.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) set up these guidelines on when to send SMS in India.

These regulations will rid your customers of ill-timed and unwanted messages or calls.

Following these time schedules show that you care about your customers.

This next part is something you wouldn’t want to forget.

What are the TRAI DLT registration regulations in India?

A Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) registration is a necessary registration you must undergo. Without it, you cannot send business SMS in India.

DLT is a blockchain-based registration system made mandatory by TRAI.

Businesses that want to send SMS to their customers in India need to register on the DLT platform.

This new system ensures that your customers are safe from unwanted messages.

Check out this comprehensive guide to learn more about the DLT registration process.

Now let’s discuss the principal sender ID regulations.

Sender ID regulations in India

A Sender ID is a name or number that identifies who has sent an SMS.

Sender IDs vary depending on the type of message that you hope to send.

Here’s how you can differentiate between the templates you’d use for your sender ID(s).

For transactional SMS, the sender ID consists of nine characters in the format XY- ZZZZZZ.

Where X is the access provider’s code, and Y is the service area code. You can choose the last 6 characters by yourself based on your brand name.

For promotional SMS, the sender ID consists of eight characters in the format WX-YZZZZ.

Where W is the access provider’s code. X is the service area code. Y is a prefix from 0 to 7. And ZZZZZ is the 5-digit Sender ID you choose.

What are the regulations on sending SMS to DND/NDNC numbers?

TRAI set up the DND and National Do Not Call (NDNC) to protect customers from annoying telemarketers.

If a number is in the DND/NDNC registry, you can’t send promotional or marketing SMS/calls to such a number.

Some exceptions exist though. For example, you can send bulk SMS to DND numbers if the message isn’t marketing related. 

You can also send transactional SMS to DND numbers to convey important information about a product or service. 

There are other types of SMS  that you can send to DND numbers. They include:

• Political SMS (prohibited during the election period)
• Charitable SMS
• Informational SMS
• Survey SMS
• Personal SMS

You can scrub your SMS list to avoid wasting your time and SMS credit by sending SMS to such DND/NDNC numbers.

DND Scrubbing filters out DND from Non-DND numbers on your list before your SMS campaigns. 

Next, we’ll go over SMS templates and content regulations you should follow in India.

What are the regulations on SMS templates and consent regulations in India?

An SMS template is an outline of the messages you want to send to your customers.

You need to register your message templates on the DLT platform. Once approved, you can send your SMS.

SMS templates include a fixed text and variable inputs, such as a payment amount, account number, code, or other.

Each message can have up to five variables, and each variable can have a maximum length of 30 characters.

SMS templates are promotional, transactional, service implicit, or service explicit.

Let’s have a brief look at each of them.

• Promotional: These messages are to advertise or sell a product or service.
• Transactional: Restricted to OTPs only. 
• Service implicit: These messages arise from your customer’s interaction with your business. For example, delivery status updates, OTPs for app login and service updates etc.
• Service explicit: You can only send these messages after obtaining a subscriber’s consent.

SMS messages faster than before! Find all the SMS templates and examples you need for your business, ready to use. Copy SMS templates.

Now let’s see the type of content you shouldn’t send via SMS. 

Content regulations

Here are two major rules you should know about the kind of content to share in India via SMS:

• Political SMSes during election period should not fly throughout the country 
• No sending of gambling-related content.

What are the regulations for growing your SMS list in India?

When it comes to collecting numbers, you must follow two primary rules:

• Your customers have to permit you and confirm they want to receive text messages from your business by opting in to your SMS list. 
• Opt-out is the reverse of opt-in. It means unsubscribing from your SMS list. You have to provide an opt-out system so users can unsubscribe from your SMS marketing list if they choose to. 

As long as you follow these rules, you’re good to go with growing your SMS list in line with TRAI.

What are the SMS regulations compliance mistakes to avoid in India?

Here are six general mistakes to avoid when sending SMS in India:

• Do not send promotional or marketing SMS via transactional routes
• Do not send more than six messages per hour to the same number with the same sender ID
• Do not send opt-in messages via transactional routes
• Do not send promotional SMS to DND numbers. The SMS will get blocked, and you’ll waste your SMS credits
• Do not send promotional or marketing SMS to people who have opted out of your SMS list
• Do not consider people who signed up on your website as approved SMS opt-ins. Also, you cannot use your email marketing contact database for SMS marketing

Let’s look at some general best practices while sending SMS in India.

General SMS best practices

Here are three best practices to help you ensure you’re always on the right side of the Law when using SMS in India.

• Get opt-in consent from your customers before sending them marketing SMS
• Provide an opt-out option to the end-user by including an opt-out keyword like help/stop 
• Include your brand name in every SMS, be it promotional, transactional or OTP

What are the penalties for violating SMS regulations in India?

If you’re planning to use SMS in your communication mix, it’s essential to understand and follow these regulations by TRAI.

Please do so to avoid severe consequences for your business. 

Non-adherence to the above guidelines will result in heavy fines and blocklisting for around 2 years.

Your customers can file a complaint against unwanted texts from your business (if you’re sending promotional SMS to DND or NDNC numbers). 

In case of a DND complaint, you would need to produce the opt-in details for a user. Failing to do so can result in a penalty of INR 25,000 to INR 2,75,000.

Also check:

SMS Regulations You Must Know to Send SMS in The UK

SMS Regulations You Must Know to Send SMS in the USA

What are the rules and regulations for sending SMS messages in India?

Below is a summary of the SMS rules and regulations in India.

	Regulation
Time	Marketing messages can only be sent Mon-Sun, 9 AM – 9 PMYou can send local transactional messages at any time
Sending to DND	Only transactional SMS
Sender ID	Documentation requiredSender IDs will be overwritten for local promotional and ILDO (International Long Distance Operator) trafficWhitelisting of 6-character length sender IDs is required to send over the transactional route
DLT registration	Required
Template registration	Required
Requesting consent	Required for marketing and service explicit messagesRequest consent via opt-in SMS
Registering consent message	Required
SMS opt-in	Don’t send opt-in messages via transactional routes
SMS opt-out	Provide an opt-out option in your SMSUse opt-out keywords like HELP/STOP
Message length	160 characters per SMS
Variable length	30 characters max per SMS
Do I need DLT registration for SMS coming from other countries?	Yes, if you want to use domestic routes and recognisable alphabetic sender IDs. But for ILDO (international routes, a DLT registration is not needed.
Frequency per hour	Not more than 6 messages per phone number.
Gambling-related SMS	Not allowed
Political SMS	Not allowed during election period

Send SMS to your customers with confidence

There you go – all the rules you must know to send bulk SMS in India. 

We shared the dos and don’ts of sending business SMSes and the all-important DLT registration.

You’re now ready to put into practice what you’ve learnt. So sign up for free at SMSCountry to send SMS without breaking any laws. 

SMSCountry is your instant solution to all your bulk SMS needs.
Got more questions regarding regulations set by TRAI? Feel free to write back to us at SMSCountry.

FAQs about SMS regulations in India 

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about SMS regulations in India.

What is the maximum length of an SMS message in India?

According to TRAI’s guidelines, The maximum length of SMSes is 160 characters.

How can I ensure that my SMS messages are delivered to all recipients?

A DLT registration is the first step to ensuring your recipients receive your SMS messages. Also, send the messages at the right time: You can send transactional at any time and promotional SMS from Monday through Sunday between 9 AM and 9 PM.

Can I send SMS messages to phone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call (NDNC) registry?

Yes you can send non-promotional messages to NDNC numbers. The types of messages you can send to NDNC numbers include the following: 

• Transactional SMS

• Political SMS (outside the election period)
• Charitable SMS
• Informational SMS
• Survey SMS
• Personal SMS

What are the guidelines for sending SMS messages in different languages?

There are no restrictions for sending SMS messages in multiple languages in India. For languages other than Engish, you can simply use the Unicode feature on your bulk SMS provider dashboard.

How can I report unsolicited SMS messages or spam to TRAI?

You can report spam SMS messages by calling 1909 and following the voice prompts or by sending an SMS to 1909.

Are there any exceptions to the SMS regulations for government agencies or emergency services?

Yes there are. Government entities may be exempted from SMS service charges of up to 5 paisa for messages sent in the public’s interest. This exemption extends to anybody mandated or directed by the government to send the SMS. But KYC and header registration are required.

What is the process for obtaining a shortcode for SMS messaging in India?

Choose an SMS service provider like SMSCountry that offers shortcode services and register with them. The SMS service provider will then register your business with TRAI and get you a shortcode that fits your business type. 

You’ll need to provide the following details, though: 

• Nature of business,
• The services you’ll be offering through the shortcode. 
• Company incorporation certificate, 
• PAN card, etc.

What is the difference between a promotional SMS and a transactional SMS in India?

Although both messages contain information about your products and services, there’s a major difference. Transactional SMS messages like order confirmations benefit customers who already use your services. Promotional SMS messages, like discounts, promote your brand.

What are the rules for sending SMS messages to customers outside of India?

Depending on the destination of your SMS messages, you are sending to, you need to know the rules governing bulk SMS in that country.

What is the timeline for implementing new SMS regulations in India?

TRAI introduced DLT registration for enterprises in July 19th 2018. But they implemented the law in February 2019. Then enterprises had until 31st May 2020 to register on the DLT platforms.

How can I stay updated on changes to SMS regulations in India?

To stay updated with SMS regulations in India:

• Follow the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) website for the latest updates on SMS regulations.
• Signup for the SMSCountry newsletter. We give updates on TRAI regulations as they happen.

• Sign up for email alerts from TRAI or other authoritative sources to receive updates directly in your inbox.
• Join industry associations and forums related to the mobile and telecommunications industry to stay informed about regulatory changes.

What are the best practices for sending SMS messages in compliance with Indian regulations?

• Get opt-in consent from your customers 
• Provide an opt-out option 
• Include your business name in every SMS 
• Send SMSes between 9 AM – 9 PM

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is only for general guidance on compliance. Though we ensured that the information contained here had been obtained from reliable sources, SMScountry.com is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from using the information found in this article. It shall be the sole responsibility of Users of SMScountry.com’s services to familiarise themselves with all applicable laws, regulations and codes of conduct to which they may be subject and to ensure compliance therewith.