DLT Registration Complete Guide — TRAI Compliance 2024

Introduction

DLT registration is no longer optional — it is mandatory. Since March 2021, TRAI requires every business sending bulk SMS in India to register on a Distributed Ledger Technology platform. Without DLT registration, your SMS messages will simply not be delivered.

What is DLT Registration?

DLT stands for Distributed Ledger Technology. It is a blockchain-based system implemented by TRAI to regulate commercial communication and prevent spam. Every SMS sender, telecom operator, and enterprise must register on a DLT platform to send bulk messages in India.

Why DLT Registration is Mandatory

• 1Prevent unsolicited commercial communication (UCC)
• 2Protect consumer privacy and preferences
• 3Create a transparent audit trail for all SMS
• 4Enable efficient DND (Do Not Disturb) scrubbing
• 5Hold senders accountable for spam messages
• 6Give consumers control over what they receive

Step 1: Entity Registration

First, register your business as an entity on any of the Telecom Operators' DLT platforms (Videocon, Airtel, Jio, Vodafone Idea, or MTNL). You need your company PAN, GST number, business address, and authorized signatory details. The registration is free.

Step 2: Header (Sender ID) Registration

Register your sender ID (also called Header) on the DLT platform. This is the 6-character name that appears as the sender of your SMS (like YOURCO). You can register multiple headers for different brands or departments. Each header must be unique and relevant to your business.

Step 3: Content Template Registration

Every SMS template you plan to send must be registered and approved on the DLT platform. Include variable placeholders (like {#var#}) for dynamic content. Templates are categorized as Promotional, Transactional, Service Explicit, or Service Implicit.

Step 4: Consent Template Registration

For promotional SMS, you also need to register consent templates. These define how you obtained permission from the customer to send them messages. This is a critical step that many businesses overlook.

Step 5: Scrubbing

Before sending any campaign, your contact list must be scrubbed against the National DND registry. Numbers registered on DND will be automatically filtered out for promotional messages. Your SMS provider should handle this automatically.

DLT Template Categories Explained

Key Takeaways

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