By QuickMessage Team · Last updated November 10, 2026
Quick answer
DLT registration is mandatory for every business in India that sends commercial SMS, including OTPs, alerts and offers. You register once as a Principal Entity on any telecom operator's DLT portal (Jio, Airtel, Vi or BSNL), then register your sender ID (header) and every message template, and link your SMS provider as your telemarketer. You need your business PAN, a business registration proof such as GST, and the authorised person's ID. Most operators charge a one-time fee of about ₹5,900 including GST; check the current fee on the portal before you pay.
If your OTPs or order updates suddenly stopped reaching customers, the reason is almost always DLT: an unregistered header, a template that does not match, an unapproved link, or a missing telemarketer in your chain. This guide explains how DLT works, what you need, every step of registration, the rules that changed in 2024 and 2025, and how to avoid rejections.
What is DLT?
DLT stands for Distributed Ledger Technology. Under TRAI's Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, telecom operators keep a shared, blockchain-based record of every business that sends commercial SMS, the sender IDs it uses, the message templates it has registered and the companies that deliver its messages. Before an SMS is delivered, the operator checks it against this record. If anything does not match, the message is blocked.
The goal is to stop spam and fraud: only registered businesses can send commercial SMS, only from their own headers, and only with content they registered in advance.
Who needs DLT registration?
- Any business, institution or organisation that sends commercial SMS to Indian mobile numbers, through any SMS provider.
- This includes OTPs, order and delivery updates, bill and payment reminders, appointment reminders, alerts and promotional offers.
- It also applies to commercial voice calls, which must come from the designated 140 and 1600 number series.
Not needed for: personal SMS sent from your own phone, and WhatsApp messages. WhatsApp does not go through telecom SMS routes; business messages there follow Meta's template approval instead (more on this below).
DLT terms you need to know
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Principal Entity (PE) | Your business, the sender of the SMS. |
| PE ID / Entity ID | The unique ID you get after DLT approval. Your SMS provider needs it to send your messages. |
| Header (Sender ID) | The name or number shown as the sender, such as QKSHOP. |
| Content template | The fixed text of a message, with variable parts marked. Each approved template gets a Template ID. |
| Telemarketer (TM) | The SMS provider or aggregator that delivers your messages to the operator. |
| PE-TM chain | The declared path from your business through each telemarketer to the operator. Messages with an undeclared chain are rejected. |
Documents required for DLT registration
- Business PAN card (company, firm or proprietor PAN).
- Business registration proof, usually the GST certificate. Depending on your business type, the portal may accept a certificate of incorporation, Udyam registration, shop and establishment licence or another registration document.
- ID and address proof of the authorised person who will manage the account.
- Letter of authorisation on your letterhead, signed and stamped, if the portal asks for it.
- An official email ID and mobile number for OTP verification.
Operators must verify registered businesses and authenticate the authorised person, so keep the person's documents ready and make sure the names match your business documents exactly.
DLT registration process: step by step
Choose one operator's DLT portal
Register on the portal of any one operator: Jio (TrueConnect), Airtel, Vi (Vilpower) or BSNL. The ledger is shared, so one registration works with all operators. Pick one and keep all your headers and templates there.
Register as a Principal Entity and pay the fee
Sign up as an Enterprise / Principal Entity, fill in your business details, upload the documents and pay the registration fee. After verification you get your PE ID. Approval usually takes a few working days, depending on the operator and whether your documents are clear.
Register your header (sender ID)
Apply for the header you want customers to see. It should clearly relate to your brand or business name. See the header rules below.
Register your content templates
Submit every message you plan to send, choose its category, mark each variable part with the right tag, and link it to your header. Any link, app link or callback number in the message must be whitelisted on the portal first.
Declare your telemarketer chain
Add your SMS provider's telemarketer (and any aggregator it uses) to your PE-TM chain on the portal. Ask your provider for the exact telemarketer IDs to add.
Share your IDs with your SMS provider and start sending
Give your provider your PE ID, header and Template IDs. Every message you send must match an approved template word for word, apart from the variable parts.
Header (sender ID) rules
- Transactional and service headers are usually 6 letters, for example
QKSHOP. - Promotional headers are numeric, usually 6 digits.
- The header should match your brand, business or product name. Generic words, other companies' names and misleading headers are rejected.
- Since the 2025 amendment, operators add a suffix to the header that shows the message type: -P promotional, -S service, -T transactional and -G government. You do not need to do anything; the suffix follows the category of your registered template.
- Headers and templates you do not use can be deactivated, and registered senders must self-certify their headers and templates every year.
SMS categories on DLT
| Category | Header suffix | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional | -T | Messages triggered by the customer's own transaction, such as OTPs |
| Service | -S | Updates to existing customers about a product or service they use, such as order, delivery or bill reminders |
| Promotional | -P | Offers and marketing, including messages to prospective customers. Customers can block promotional messages through DND preferences |
| Government | -G | Messages sent by government bodies |
The 2025 amendment narrowed the service category, because it was being used to send promotions. Do not register an offer as a service message. Some portals still show older sub-categories such as "Service Implicit"; follow the options your portal shows today.
How to write DLT templates that get approved
TRAI now requires every variable in a template to be tagged with the type of value it carries. Portals commonly offer tags such as {#numeric#} for numbers and OTPs, {#alphanumeric#} for names and IDs, {#url#} for whitelisted links, {#cbn#} for callback numbers and {#email#} for email addresses. If your older templates use the generic {#var#} tag, check your portal for the deadline to update them.
OTP · Transactional
{#numeric#} is your OTP to log in to QuickShop. It is valid for 10 minutes. Do not share it with anyone.
Order update · Service
Dear {#alphanumeric#}, your order {#alphanumeric#} of Rs {#numeric#} has been shipped. Track it here: {#url#} - QuickShop
Bill reminder · Service
Dear {#alphanumeric#}, your bill of Rs {#numeric#} is due on {#alphanumeric#}. Pay online: {#url#} or call {#cbn#}. - QuickShop
QuickShop is a sample brand. Replace it with your own.
- Keep the fixed text exact. The message you send must match the template word for word, apart from the variables. Even an extra space or changed word can cause a block.
- Use the right tag for each variable, and do not put whole sentences inside one variable.
- Whitelist links and callback numbers first. Since October 2024, operators block commercial SMS with a link, app link or callback number that is not whitelisted on DLT.
- Mention your brand name in the text so the message clearly comes from you.
- Pick the honest category. An offer is promotional, even if it goes to existing customers.
DLT registration cost
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Principal Entity registration | About ₹5,900 including GST, one time, on most operator portals. Fees can differ by operator and change over time, so check the portal before paying. |
| Headers and templates | Registered on the portal after your entity is approved. Check your portal for any charges. |
| Sending SMS | Charged separately by your SMS provider, per message. |
You only register once. Registering on more than one operator's portal is not needed and costs you twice.
DLT rule changes in 2024 and 2025
- October 2024: link and callback number whitelisting. Commercial SMS containing a link, APK, OTT link or callback number that is not whitelisted on DLT are blocked.
- December 2024: message traceability. Every commercial SMS must follow a declared PE-TM chain from your business through each telemarketer to the operator. Messages with an undeclared or mismatched chain are rejected.
- February 2025: TCCCPR amendment. Header suffixes (-P, -S, -T, -G), a narrower definition of service messages, stricter verification of senders, annual self-certification of headers and templates, and deactivation of unused headers and templates.
- Late 2025 onwards: typed variables. Template variables must be tagged with the type of value they carry, such as numeric, alphanumeric, URL or callback number.
Why SMS gets blocked even after DLT registration
Template mismatch
The sent text differs from the approved template, even by a word, a space or punctuation.
Link not whitelisted
The message contains a URL, short link, app link or callback number that is not whitelisted.
Chain not declared
Your SMS provider's telemarketer, or an aggregator it uses, is missing from your PE-TM chain.
Wrong header or category
The template is linked to a different header, or a promotional message is sent as service. Promotional messages also do not reach customers who blocked promotions.
DLT and WhatsApp: do you need both?
DLT applies only to SMS and commercial voice calls on telecom networks. WhatsApp Business messages do not need DLT registration. On the WhatsApp Business API, Meta approves your message templates instead, and messages show your business name and can include buttons, images and payment links.
Many businesses use both: WhatsApp for rich order updates and reminders, and SMS for OTPs and for customers who do not use WhatsApp. See SMS vs WhatsApp marketing to decide which to use for what.
Frequently asked questions
Is DLT registration mandatory for sending SMS in India?
Yes. Under TRAI's TCCCPR, 2018, every business that sends commercial SMS, including OTPs, alerts and offers, must register its entity, headers and templates on DLT. Unregistered messages are blocked.
How much does DLT registration cost?
Most operators charge a one-time Principal Entity fee of about Rs 5,900 including GST. Fees can differ by operator, so check the portal before paying. SMS sending is charged separately by your provider.
Do I need to register on every operator's DLT portal?
No. The ledger is shared between operators, so one registration on any operator's portal works for messages to all networks.
What documents are needed for DLT registration?
Your business PAN, a business registration proof such as a GST certificate, the authorised person's ID and address proof, and a letter of authorisation on your letterhead if the portal asks for it.
Do WhatsApp business messages need DLT registration?
No. DLT applies to SMS and commercial voice calls. WhatsApp Business API messages use templates approved by Meta instead.
Source: TRAI, Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025. Operator portals and fees change from time to time; always follow the current instructions on your DLT portal. This guide is for general information and is not legal advice.
Send OTP and transactional SMS with QuickMessage
Our team can guide you through DLT registration, header and template setup, so your messages reach customers. Use WhatsApp alongside SMS for richer updates.
