Unknown callers bothering you? That is set to change from tomorrow!Telecom operators are set to begin rolling out Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), a facility that will display the caller’s name on the recipient’s phone screen. The service will not require users to register separately and will change how incoming calls from both saved and unsaved numbers appear on their phones.The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed all telecom service providers holding authorisations or licences to provide access services to implement CNAP across their respective service areas from November 1.The facility will initially be available on 4G and higher-generation networks, while its rollout on 2G, 3G and landline networks will be considered separately.
What changes on your phone from November 1?
Under the new arrangement, incoming calls will show the caller’s number along with their name. What appears on the screen will depend on whether the recipient has saved the number.
- Saved numbers: The name stored in the recipient’s phone contacts will appear on the screen.
- Unsaved domestic numbers: The name recorded in the caller’s subscriber details with their telecom operator will be displayed.
- Unsaved international numbers: The screen will display ‘International Call.’ The international call provision applies to calls between two countries where either India or the other country is the point of origin or destination.
How will the new caller identification system work?
The facility will depend on databases maintained by the telecom operators from which calls originate.
- Each operator must establish, operate and maintain a database linking users’ calling name identities with their assigned telecommunication identifiers.
- When a call reaches the recipient’s network, the terminating telecom service provider will retrieve the relevant name from this database.
- The retrieved information will then be displayed on the recipient’s phone.
The DoT’s directions apply to all telecom service providers holding authorisation or licences to provide access services. They must implement CNAP across their respective service areas from November 1, 2026.
Will every caller’s name be visible?
No. There is an exception for subscribers who have opted for the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility in accordance with existing guidelines.
- CLIR users: Their calling name identity will not be displayed.
- Other callers: The displayed name will depend on whether the number is saved in the recipient’s contacts and whether the call is domestic or international.
Telecom operators can offer a separate facility to businesses and users with bulk connections to display a preferred name instead of the name recorded in their subscriber data records.However, businesses will have to meet specific verification requirements.The preferred name must be either:
- A trademark registered in the user’s name with the Trade Marks Registry under the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- A trade name registered on the Goods and Services Tax portal.
What will businesses need to do?
- For new connections: The preferred name must be recorded in both the customer application form and the subscriber data record. Applicants must produce original documents establishing registration under the proposed name. Telecom operators will attach true copies of these documents to the customer application form.
- For existing connections: Operators must establish a mechanism through which businesses can apply to have their preferred names recorded. The subscriber data record can be updated after the application has been examined and properly verified.
- Document verification: Telecom operators must conduct due diligence and retain true copies of documents proving registration under the preferred name after checking them against the originals.
The Central Government may issue further instructions and clarifications as required. The DoT’s instructions refer to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations on introducing Calling Name Presentation in Indian telecom networks, dated February 23, 2024. They also refer to the department’s instructions dated November 21, 2025, concerning the handling of know-your-customer (KYC) issues during the implementation of the service.