Why 140 and 1600 phone numbers are no more Spam? TRAI explained
Have you noticed that phone numbers starting with 140 or 1600 are no longer being marked as spam? TRAI has now explained why these numbers are treated differently and what users can still block.
Published By: Divya | Published: Jul 13, 2026, 08:40 PM (IST) | Edited: Jul 13, 2026, 08:58 PM (IST)
You must have already started witnessing this or may soon notice that numbers starting with 140 or 1600 no longer show a spam warning on apps like Truecaller. Wondering why? The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has now clarified its rules after reports suggested it wanted more powers to take action against call management apps that incorrectly tag these numbers as spam. The clarification also comes after criticism from Truecaller over the regulator's stance.
The clarification follows reports that TRAI has asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for additional powers to act against platforms that wrongly label 140 and 1600 numbers as spam. Now, TRAI try to ensure that these dedicated number ranges exist for a specific purpose.
Here's what the two number series actually mean and why they're treated differently.
What are 1600 numbers?
According to TRAI, phone numbers beginning with 1600 are reserved for important communication. These numbers are used by government departments as well as organisations in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector. This includes institutions regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA.
Since these calls often include OTPs, transaction alerts, account updates or government-related communication, TRAI says they cannot be blocked, marked as spam or filtered by call management apps.
The idea is to ensure that users don't accidentally miss important calls or messages.
What about 140 numbers?
The 140 series serves a different purpose. These numbers are issued to registered telemarketers that make promotional calls. Businesses must first register with telecom operators under TRAI's Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) before they can use a 140 number.
Unlike 1600 numbers, these calls are promotional in nature. However, TRAI says they also shouldn't be tagged as spam simply because they're coming from a registered telemarketer.
So, you can't stop promotional calls anymore?
You can. If you don't want promotional calls, you don't have to answer every 140 call. Instead, TRAI advises everyone to register their preferences through the Do Not Disturb (DND) service. Once you've blocked specific categories or all promotional communication through DND, registered telemarketers using 140 numbers are not supposed to call you for those categories. You can manage these preferences through the TRAI DND app and other available channels.
140 vs 1600 Numbers: What's the Difference?
| 140 Series | 1600 Series |
|---|---|
| Used by registered telemarketers | Used by government and regulated BFSI organisations |
| Promotional calls | Transactional and service-related communication |
| Users can stop promotional calls using DND | Cannot be blocked or tagged as spam |
| Cannot be labelled as spam by call management apps | Cannot be labelled as spam or filtered |
Get latest Tech and Auto news from Techlusive on our WhatsApp Channel, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.