New Delhi: The Government of India has directed telecom service providers to introduce Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) from November 1, 2026, enabling mobile users to see the caller’s name alongside their phone number when receiving calls.

The new system is intended to make caller identification more transparent and help users make informed decisions before answering calls. According to report published on October 15, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered telecom operators to activate CNAP by default for users on 4G and higher-generation networks, including 5G.

The rollout will initially cover these networks, while implementation for 2G and 3G networks and public switched telephone networks will be considered separately.

How the new caller identification system will work

Under CNAP, the caller’s phone number will appear on the recipient’s screen along with a name retrieved from the telecom operator’s subscriber database.

If the caller’s number is already saved in the recipient’s contacts, the screen will display the saved contact name. If the number is not saved, the caller’s name recorded in the originating telecom operator’s subscriber database will be displayed for domestic calls.

For calls originating internationally, the display will show the words “International Call”, according to the report.

Telecom operators will be required to establish, operate and maintain databases that link subscribers’ names with their mobile numbers. When a call arrives, the recipient’s service provider will retrieve the relevant information and display it on the phone screen.

The system will operate through telecom networks rather than depending on users installing a separate caller identification application.

Caller names will come from subscriber records

CNAP will rely on subscriber information maintained by telecom operators. The system is designed to show the name recorded in the caller’s telecom subscriber database, providing an official source for caller identification.

The DoT order also specifies that operators must follow a security-by-design approach. Under this requirement, the caller’s name cannot be retained through the query-response mechanism after the incoming call ends.

There is also an exception for subscribers who have opted for the Calling Line Identification Restriction facility. Their names will not be displayed under the specified arrangement.

These provisions form part of the framework governing how caller information is retrieved and presented to recipients.

Special provisions for business and bulk connections

The new framework also includes provisions for business and bulk telephone connections.

Telecom operators may allow eligible businesses to display a preferred name instead of the name listed in their subscriber records. However, the preferred name must meet specified registration requirements.

According to the report, it must be either a trademark registered in the user’s name with the Trade Marks Registry or a trade name registered on the Goods and Services Tax portal.

Operators will be responsible for verifying the preferred name and the supporting documents before allowing it to be displayed. Existing subscribers who want to update their preferred names will have to apply for the change.

These requirements are intended to ensure that business caller names are supported by appropriate registration records.

CNAP follows earlier telecom trials and recommendations

The November 1 rollout follows trials conducted on 4G and 5G networks over the preceding months.

The order also refers to recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in February 2024. In October 2025, TRAI agreed with the DoT’s proposal to make CNAP available by default.

This represented a change from TRAI’s original recommendation, which proposed making the service available to subscribers on request.

The latest directive establishes the next stage of implementation by requiring telecom service providers to introduce the feature on eligible networks from November 1, 2026.

What mobile users should know

For users on supported networks, CNAP is expected to provide caller-name information directly through telecom services. The feature could make it easier to identify callers whose numbers are not saved in a phone’s contact list.

However, the displayed name will be based on the relevant telecom subscriber records, and international calls will be identified using the “International Call” label described in the order.

The system’s initial scope covers 4G and higher-generation networks. The treatment of 2G and 3G networks and public switched telephone networks remains subject to separate consideration.

The introduction of CNAP marks a move towards standardised caller identification within India’s telecom infrastructure, with implementation scheduled to begin on November 1, 2026