TRAI flags 19.9 billion suspected spam calls and SMS using AI in Q2 FY27
The regulator acted against more than 124,000 telecom resources during the quarter, while registered DND preferences blocked 1.7 billion promotional calls and 11.09 billion promotional SMS
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Published: Nov 13, 2026 5:26 PM | 2 min read
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- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) reported that telecom operators flagged 19.9 billion calls and SMS as suspected spam in Q2 FY27, amid increased enforcement against unsolicited commercial communications.
- Out of 705.96 billion incoming calls, 18.28 billion were identified as spam, and 1.62 billion of 854.4 billion incoming SMS were similarly flagged, with 4.59 million warning notifications issued to high-risk entities.
- TRAI conducted e-KYC on approximately 34,030 suspected UCC senders, disconnecting nearly 9,970 connections that failed verification, while consumers filed 1.529 million UCC complaints, with 723,000 deemed actionable.
- The DND app accounted for 92.9% of UCC complaints, but only 224.49 million out of 1.349 billion telecom subscribers had registered DND preferences, leaving over 1.12 billion subscribers vulnerable to commercial communications.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said telecom operators’ AI-based systems flagged 19.9 billion calls and SMS as suspected spam during the July-September 2026 quarter, as the regulator stepped up enforcement against unsolicited commercial communications.
Of 705.96 billion incoming calls during Q2 FY27, 18.28 billion were identified as suspected spam, while 1.62 billion of 854.4 billion incoming SMS were similarly flagged. Operators also issued 4.59 million warning notifications to entities assessed as having a high probability of sending spam.
TRAI said AI systems analyse calling patterns to identify suspected spam originating from normal 10-digit numbers that bypass regulated commercial communication channels. Around 34,030 suspected UCC senders underwent e-KYC during the quarter, while nearly 9,970 connections were disconnected after failing KYC verification.
Overall, consumers registered 1.529 million unsolicited commercial communication complaints, of which around 723,000 were actionable. Enforcement resulted in 110,325 telecom resources being barred for 15 days, while another 13,777 were disconnected for a year for repeat violations. TRAI also blacklisted 374 senders and blocked 3,725 SMS headers.
Registered DND preferences meanwhile led to the blocking of around 1.70 billion promotional calls and 11.09 billion promotional SMS. India recorded 15.27 billion promotional calls through the designated 140 series and 660.71 billion commercial SMS through registered channels during the quarter.
The TRAI DND app accounted for 92.9% of all UCC complaints, receiving 1.421 million complaints during the quarter. However, only 224.49 million of India’s 1.349 billion telecom subscribers had registered DND preferences as of September 30, leaving more than 1.12 billion subscribers open to commercial communications from registered senders.
For marketers and telemarketers, the numbers underline the growing role of AI-based detection, verified calling series and consumer preference enforcement in determining how commercial communication reaches Indian users.
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