Caller name display service to roll out from November 1, DoT directs telecom operators

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to introduce a caller identification service from November 1, allowing subscribers to see a caller’s registered name alongside their phone number.

The service, known as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), will be activated by default for users on 4G and newer networks, including 5G, providing a built-in alternative to third-party caller identification applications such as Truecaller.

The initial rollout will not cover older 2G and 3G networks or public switched telephone networks. The DoT said the introduction of the service on these networks would be examined separately.

Under the system, the recipient’s screen will display the incoming phone number and the caller’s name. If the number is saved in the recipient’s contacts, the saved name will be displayed. Otherwise, the system will retrieve the caller’s registered name from the originating telecom operator’s subscriber database for domestic calls. Incoming international calls will be labelled “International Call”.

Telecom operators will be required to maintain databases linking subscribers’ names with their mobile numbers and ensure that the information is displayed to recipients. The DoT has also mandated privacy safeguards, requiring operators to ensure that caller names are not retained through the query-and-response mechanism after a call ends.

Subscribers who have activated the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility, which prevents their caller identification details from being displayed, will be exempt from the name presentation service.

Businesses and bulk connection users may be permitted to display a verified preferred name instead of the name recorded in the subscriber database. The alternative name must be supported by a registered trademark or a trade name registered on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) portal. Telecom operators will be responsible for verifying the name and supporting documents. Existing subscribers seeking to use a preferred name will have to apply to update their details.

The directive follows trials of CNAP on 4G and 5G networks and draws on recommendations issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in February 2024.

In October 2025, TRAI supported the DoT’s proposal to make the service available by default, marking a shift from its earlier recommendation that subscribers should activate it only if they wished to use it.