Introduction

The TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) introduced a regulation called TCCPR (Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation) which protects customers from spam and allows registered businesses to send commercial messages in a regulated way to their customers. Now, TCCPR has launched second amendment dated 12th February 2025 in which an important update has been announced which will take effect from 10th March 2026. 

What is TCCCPR regulation and why it was created?

TCCCPR means Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations and was introduced in 2018 to stop one problem which was becoming a serious problem in India i.e. spam calls and messages.

Previously, messages like:

• Win lottery of Rs. 25 lakhs.
• Get instant loan.
• and many more…

used to be the habit of people in general so seeing that TRAI created a regulatory framework to how organizations can send commercial messages.
TCCCPR created a structured framework that regulates how businesses send commercial messages to customers.

Before moving further let’s understand what is Service Explicit templates….

What Are Service Explicit Templates in DLT SMS?

It is a message type used for service related messages where user has any connection with the company.

Some few examples are as follows:

1. Bank alerts – “Your account has been debited with ₹2000.”
2. Delivery updates – “Your package will be delivered today.”
3. Subscription reminders – “Your membership expires on 15 April.”

New Update Announced by TRAI!

Registration of new Service Explicit (SE) templates will be discontinued and all existing Service Explicit templates will be migrated to the Promotional category from 10th March 2026 onwards followed by addressing a long pending demand of industries to boost their brand identity.
Earlier, businesses can send commercial messages to their customers with numerical headings only which in consequence gave the problem with authenticity of brand’s audacity. So now, TRAI in this update came up with the initiative that Promotional templates now can have alphabetical headers or alphanumeric headers.

What benefits businesses will be getting from this update:

1. Businesses can display brand names in promotional messages.
2. Recipients can easily identify the sender.
3. Trust of customers will be gained.
4. And obviously, when all these things will happen message credibility and engagement may improve.

Key Points Businesses Should Know

1. Applicable from 10th March 2026, all the Service Explicit templates must be migrated to Promotional category.
2. Simultaneously, entities will be able to use Alpha or Alphanumeric headers in Promotional templates.
3. Entities are expected to adapt to these changes and modify their templates accordingly to avoid any kind of disturbance.

Final Call To Action

The TRAI TCCCPR amendment 2025 introduces a major change in the DLT SMS ecosystem, where Service Explicit templates will be migrated to the Promotional category from March 2026. Businesses must update their DLT template registrations to remain compliant and ensure uninterrupted SMS communication.