India Mandates Caller Name Display on 4G, 5G Networks by Default

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered telecom operators to display registered caller names by default on 4G and 5G networks across the country from November 1, 2026. The Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service will show the caller's name from the operator's subscriber records to the recipient if the caller's number is not saved.

Operators are required to provide this service without a separate request from users. Only users with the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility, recently restricted to officials, will have their caller name withheld. This directive moves away from earlier proposals that considered opt-in features or user-controlled deactivation.

The regulation mandates operators to maintain a name database linked to subscriber numbers, which the recipient's operator will query for each call. The networks must handle these queries without impacting call quality. Businesses with bulk connections can display a 'preferred name' under specific conditions, such as a registered trademark or trade name.

This mandate applies only to 4G and newer networks, with decisions on older 2G, 3G, and landline services to be considered separately. While the directive emphasizes security-by-design, it does not explicitly mention compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act or caller consent, raising privacy concerns previously highlighted by advocacy groups.