Caller Name on Your Phone from November 1? DoT Orders Nationwide CNAP Rollout
Image credit X.com @ITU
By SANJAY SINGH
The Department of Telecommunications has directed telecom service providers to introduce Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) across 4G and higher-generation mobile networks, displaying the caller’s registered subscriber name alongside the phone number.
New Delhi, October 15, 2026 — The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed all telecom service providers to introduce Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) across their service areas from November 1, 2026, in a move aimed at making caller identification more reliable and helping subscribers deal with unwanted and potentially fraudulent calls.
In a circular dated October 13, 2026, the Department of Telecommunications instructed all service providers authorised to offer access services to introduce the facility on wireless terrestrial networks using 4G and higher-generation technologies. The rollout follows trials conducted by telecom operators.
Under CNAP, the name associated with the calling subscriber will be displayed on the recipient’s phone alongside the caller’s telephone number. The name will be drawn from the subscriber data record maintained by the originating telecom service provider, rather than relying solely on a name suggested by a third-party caller identification application.
The service is to be provided without requiring subscribers to submit a separate request. The circular refers to Rule 48(1) of the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026, which sets out the requirements for presenting caller identification.
How the New Caller Name Service Will Work
The DoT’s instructions specify that caller identification will contain two fields: the telephone number or other assigned telecommunications identifier, followed by the caller’s name in accordance with the prescribed rules.
If the caller’s number is already saved in the recipient’s contact list, the name stored in that contact list will take precedence. If the number is not saved, the caller’s name as recorded in the originating telecom operator’s subscriber database will be presented for domestic calls.
For international calls from numbers not saved in the recipient’s contacts, the display will show “International Call”, according to the circular.
The Department has also specified that the calling name identity of subscribers who have activated the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility in accordance with existing guidelines will not be displayed.
The instructions provide for a mechanism through which subscribers can request changes to their recorded names, subject to examination and verification by the telecom operator. Operators must also establish grievance redressal mechanisms to handle complaints concerning the service.
The November 1 deadline applies to wireless terrestrial networks using 4G and higher-generation technologies. The introduction of CNAP on 2G and 3G networks, as well as public switched telephone networks, will be considered separately after further examination.
The circular, issued by the DoT’s Licensing Policy Wing, supersedes the Department’s earlier instructions dated November 21, 2025, on handling know-your-customer (KYC) issues during CNAP implementation.
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