DoT’s SIM-Binding Directive May Disrupt Messaging Access, Raise MSME Costs: Study
Survey finds that SIM binding could inconvenience international travellers, disrupt business workflows and impose costs without adequately addressing major cyberfraud risks. (Image DoT)
By SANJAY SINGH
An Esya Centre study based on surveys of 2,033 consumers and 353 businesses warns that SIM binding could inconvenience international travellers, disrupt business operations and deliver limited cybersecurity benefits.
New Delhi, October 26, 2026 — The Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) SIM-binding directive could disrupt access to essential communication services, increase operating costs for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and deliver limited cybersecurity benefits, according to a new study by technology policy think tank Esya Centre.
The study, titled Rethinking India’s SIM Binding Mandate: An Empirical Assessment, draws on surveys of 2,033 consumers across 18 Indian cities and 353 businesses across 17 cities. It warns that the directive could impose significant costs and inconvenience on legitimate users without adequately addressing major sources of cyberfraud, including phishing, credential theft, malware and session hijacking.
In November 2025, the DoT directed internet-based messaging applications to ensure that users’ accounts remain linked to their registered SIM cards. The directive initially also required automatic logout from web sessions every six hours. This requirement was subsequently replaced with risk-based logouts.
The study highlights potential difficulties for international travellers who depend on local SIM cards, Wi-Fi connections or secondary SIM arrangements while abroad.
Only 33% of surveyed international travellers use an Indian SIM with an active roaming plan, while 67.1% rely on alternatives, including local SIM cards and Wi-Fi-only access.
Restrictions linked to inactive registered SIM cards could prevent users from accessing messaging services when they are unable to keep their primary SIM active.
Nearly 98.88% of surveyed consumers said losing messaging access because their primary SIM was inactive would cause moderate to extreme inconvenience. A similarly high proportion expressed concern about losing access to internet-based calling during emergencies.
Forced logouts and periodic re-authentication could create additional difficulties. Among companion-device users, 97.7% considered forced logouts inconvenient, while 97% of surveyed consumers said periodic re-authentication through an Indian SIM while travelling would be inconvenient.
Although the DoT has replaced mandatory six-hour logouts with risk-based logouts, users could still experience interruptions when re-authentication is required.
The study also flags potential consequences for businesses that depend on internet-based messaging for customer communication, employee coordination and service delivery.
Among surveyed businesses, 92% rely on companion-device access, while 86% use the same business number across multiple devices.
Around 78% of businesses said restricting access to a single handset would be extremely or moderately disruptive. Meanwhile, 83.5% anticipated delays and operational errors, and 82% said forced logouts would disrupt ongoing information exchange and workflows.
The findings raise questions about whether the compliance burden on consumers and businesses is proportionate to the directive’s expected cybersecurity benefits.
The study argues that measures targeting phishing, credential theft, malware and session hijacking are also important to addressing contemporary cyberfraud.
As India strengthens its digital security framework, the challenge for policymakers will be to balance cybersecurity objectives with uninterrupted access to communication services and the operational needs of businesses.
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