Since 2021, all commercial SMS in India must comply with TRAI DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) regulations. Without DLT registration, your messages will be blocked by operators.
What is DLT?
DLT is a blockchain-based registry managed by telecom operators (Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL) under TRAI guidelines. It stores approved businesses, sender IDs, and message templates to prevent spam and fraud.
Registration Steps
Step 1 - Entity Registration
Register your company on each operator's DLT portal (or once via a primary operator). Provide GST, PAN, and business documents. SMSTAKE can assist with end-to-end entity onboarding.
Step 2 - Header (Sender ID) Approval
Apply for a 6-character sender ID (e.g. SMSTKE). Transactional and promotional headers may require separate registration.
Step 3 - Template Registration
Submit every message template with exact wording and variable placeholders. Examples:
- Transactional: "Your OTP is {#var#}. Valid 5 min. - SMSTAKE"
- Promotional: "Flat 50% off this weekend! Shop now at example.com - SMSTAKE"
Step 4 - Telemarketer / Provider Mapping
Link your entity to your SMS provider (SMSTAKE) as the delivery telemarketer on the DLT portal.
Common DLT Mistakes
- Sending without approved template - message blocked
- Template text mismatch - even one word difference fails
- Using promotional route for OTP - compliance violation
- Not scrubbing DND numbers for promotional SMS
How SMSTAKE Helps
We handle entity registration, header applications, template submissions, and operator mapping - so you can go live faster. Contact our DLT team or read our OTP SMS guide.