Complete TRAI DLT Registration Handbook
As per TRAI guidelines, every business in India sending SMS or OTPs must register as a Principal Entity (PE) on telecom operator DLT portals.
4-Step Approval Workflow
Follow this roadmap to get your Sender Header & Content Templates live
Entity Registration (Entity ID)
Jio DLT / Airtel DLT / Vodafone Idea DLT / BSNL DLT Portal
Sender ID (Header) Registration
TRAI Compliant Telecom Operator Portal
Content Template Approval
DLT Portal Content Module
API Binding & Live Dispatch
Tekhook India Dashboard
Official Telecom DLT Portal Links:
Understanding TRAI's Four Content Categories
Choosing the wrong category is the single most common reason templates get rejected. Here is how TRAI classifies every commercial message in India, and what each category allows you to send.
| Category | Permitted Content | DND Window | Sender Prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transactional | OTP, bank alerts, irreplaceable account updates | Allowed any time, even to DND numbers | 6-alpha (e.g. TEKHOK) |
| Service Implicit | Order updates, appointments, non-marketing alerts | Allowed to DND recipients | 6-alpha |
| Service Explicit | Updates with mild promotional intent (opt-in) | Only to opted-in numbers; 9 AM–9 PM | 6-alpha |
| Promotional | Offers, sales, discount marketing | Blocked to DND; 9 AM–9 PM only | Numeric (e.g. 630220) |
The Most Common DLT Rejection Reasons
We have reviewed thousands of rejected templates. These are the pitfalls our compliance team fixes for clients every day — before the operator ever sees them.
Mismatched variable count
The {#var#} placeholders in your dispatch payload must exactly match the approved template — no extra, no fewer.
Promotional content in a transactional template
Words like 'offer', 'discount' or 'shop now' in a transactional category trigger automatic operator rejection.
Brand-header mismatch
Your registered header must match the brand on your Entity ID KYC. A mismatch breaks the PE-TM chain binding.
Missing consent or opt-out text
Service-explicit and promotional templates require a working opt-out instruction to clear DLT approval.
DLT Registration — Answered
Is DLT registration mandatory for every Indian business?+
Yes. Since the TRAI TCCCPR 2018 regulation, any business sending commercial SMS or OTPs must register as a Principal Entity on at least one operator DLT portal and bind a Telemarketer (Tekhook). Sending without registration is illegal and carriers will drop your messages.
Do I need to register on all four operator portals?+
You register once as a Principal Entity on any one DLT portal, then approve headers and templates across Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL. Tekhook manages this cross-portal binding for you so a single template works on every operator.
How long does the full DLT approval take?+
Entity ID approval takes 24–48 hours, header approval 2–12 hours, and template approval 1–4 hours. With Tekhook's pre-validation engine, most clients go live within a single business day.
What does it cost, and does Tekhook charge for help?+
TRAI's DLT registration fees are nominal and paid directly to operators. Tekhook provides the entire registration, header and template setup free as part of every plan — including our compliance team's hands-on assistance.