Spam and scam calls are a daily headache in India and many people rely on apps like Truecaller or spam-blocking tricks to deal with them. Now, the Government of India is bringing a permanent fix to this. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has made it mandatory for telecom operators to show the caller’s name on incoming calls starting next month.
According to a DoT circular dated October 13, 2026, Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) will let users see the caller’s name along with their phone number whenever an incoming call is received. The service will be enabled for everyone by default, without the need for any separate request.
Every telecom operator has to maintain a database that maps each subscriber’s name to their phone number. When someone calls, the operator will fetch the caller’s name from the caller’s operator and display it on the recipient's screen.
This means that for numbers that are saved on your contact list, they will be displayed as they are. For unknown domestic calls, CNAP will display the registered name with the telecom operator. For international unknown calls, CNAP will display a simple "International Call" message.
For now, CNAP will only work on 4G and higher networks like 5G. The DoT says it will look at rolling it out on 2G, 3G and landline (PSTN) networks separately later. Telecom operators have already tested the service on 4G and above.
CNAP Rules for Businesses and Privacy
Aside from displaying registered names of citizens to one another, DoT has also mandated CNAP compliance for business and bulk connections. However, they will get a few extra options. For starters, businesses will be able to show a preferred name instead of the registered name.
This name must be either a trademark registered in their name or a trade name registered on the GST portal. The telecom operator has to verify it first. Existing business customers can also apply to update their preferred name.
As for privacy, users who have the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility will not have their names shown. The DoT has also asked operators to follow a “security-by-design approach”. This means the caller’s name is not stored after the call ends and the caller ID is protected against tampering.
Operators also have to set up a grievance system to resolve CNAP-related complaints within a fixed time. Unlike apps like Truecaller, which rely on crowdsourced names, CNAP will use the details from the caller’s telecom records.
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