TRAI Issues Response to DoT’s Back-Reference on Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) Service Recommendations

New Delhi, October 29: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued its response to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) following a back-reference dated September 26, 2025, regarding TRAI’s earlier recommendations on the ‘Introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) Service in Indian Telecommunication Network’.

The CNAP service aims to display the name of the caller on the recipient’s phone screen, even if the number is not saved, enhancing transparency and user safety against spam and fraud calls.

The DoT had first sought TRAI’s recommendations on the CNAP framework through a reference dated March 21, 2022, under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997. After an extensive consultation process involving telecom operators, digital platforms, and consumer groups, TRAI submitted its detailed recommendations to the government on February 23, 2024.

Subsequently, DoT requested TRAI to reconsider certain aspects of the proposal through its September 2025 back-reference, following the government’s internal review. After examining the DoT’s observations, TRAI has now finalized and submitted its response to the back-reference, which has been made publicly available on the authority’s website (www.trai.gov.in).

The latest response marks another step toward the eventual rollout of CNAP across Indian telecom networks, a move expected to significantly improve caller identification and reduce the menace of unwanted calls.

For further clarification or information, stakeholders may contact Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Network, Spectrum and Licensing), TRAI, at +91-11-20907758.

The development reflects TRAI’s continuing engagement with the DoT to balance user privacy, network efficiency, and security safeguards as part of India’s evolving telecom policy framework.