If your business wants to send Bulk SMS in India, you must first register on a DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) platform. Without DLT registration, telecom operators block your messages. This guide explains what DLT is, what you need, and how to finish the registration step by step.
What is DLT registration?
DLT is a blockchain-based system introduced by TRAI under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018. It keeps a record of every business that sends commercial SMS, the sender IDs (headers) it uses, and the exact message templates it sends. Telecom operators check every SMS against this record before delivering it. The goal is to stop spam and protect customers.
Who needs DLT registration?
Every business, school, hospital or organisation that sends promotional, transactional, service or OTP SMS in India needs DLT registration. In DLT terms, your business is the Principal Entity (PE), and your SMS provider is the Telemarketer (TM).
Documents you need
- PAN card of the business
- GST certificate, or another business proof such as a trade licence, shop and establishment certificate or incorporation certificate
- Letter of authorisation on your letterhead for the person registering
- ID proof of the authorised person
- A business email address and mobile number for OTP verification
Requirements change slightly between operator portals, so keep scanned copies ready before you start.
Step-by-step DLT registration process
- Choose one DLT portal. Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL each run a DLT portal. You only need to register on one — it works across all operators.
- Register your entity. Fill in your business details, upload documents and pay the registration fee (it changes by operator). After approval you get your Entity ID (PE ID).
- Register your headers (sender IDs). This is the name your customers see, like a six-letter ID such as HAMSAS for transactional and service SMS. Promotional SMS uses a numeric header.
- Register content templates. Submit the exact wording of every message you plan to send. Use variables like
{#var#}for parts that change, such as names, amounts or OTPs. - Register consent templates if you send promotional or service messages that need the customer's permission.
- Link your telemarketer. Add your SMS provider to your account so the chain from your business to the operator is complete. TRAI requires this chain to be declared.
- Share your IDs with your SMS provider. Give your provider your Entity ID, approved headers and template IDs so your messages match and get delivered.
New TRAI rules you must know
1. Links must be whitelisted (from 1 October 2024). Any website link, app (APK) link or other link in your SMS must be registered with your template. Messages with links that are not whitelisted are blocked.
2. Sender ID suffixes (from May 2025). Operators now add a letter at the end of your sender name to show the message type: -P for promotional, -S for service, -T for transactional and -G for government. For example, a transactional SMS from HAMSAS shows as HAMSAS-T. This is added automatically, so make sure each template is registered under the right category.
Common reasons for rejection
- Header name not related to your business or brand name
- Template wording that does not match the message you actually send
- Links or phone numbers in the message that are not in the approved template
- Blurry or mismatched documents
How long does DLT registration take?
Entity approval usually takes a few working days, depending on the operator and how complete your documents are. Header and template approvals are often faster once your entity is approved.
Get help with DLT registration
Hamsa Solutions helps businesses complete DLT entity, header and template registration, and then start sending through our Bulk SMS service. We support promotional, transactional and OTP SMS in Telugu and English. You can also look at the WhatsApp Business API and RCS messaging for richer customer messages.