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Concept map· 6 connected terms

DLT Registration(DLT)

Also called: DLT registration India · TRAI DLT registration · Distributed Ledger Technology registration · SMS DLT registration

In one line
Onboarding on India's DLT platform, registering the business, its headers, content templates and consent templates before any commercial SMS is sent.

Reviewed

What is DLT registration?

DLT Registration is the process an Indian business goes through on a TRAI-mandated Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform before it can send commercial SMS, and make telemarketing calls, to Indian numbers. Under TRAI's TCCCPR 2018 each access provider (mobile operator) runs a DLT portal; the business registers once, as a principal entity, on any one of them, and the record is shared with every operator through the ledger.

Registration builds up in layers. The principal entity registers with its legal details and documents and receives an entity ID (PE ID). It then registers each DLT Header (sender ID), each DLT Content Template with its {#var#} placeholders and a DLT Message Category, and consent templates where messages depend on customer consent. Since 1 October 2024, URLs, APKs and OTT links in messages must be whitelisted, and principal entities had to declare the chain of telemarketers that carries their traffic, known as PE-TM Chain Binding; operators have rejected undeclared chains since 11 December 2024.

Once registered, every SMS carries the PE ID, the header and the template ID, and operators run DLT Scrubbing on each message against those records, the recipient's preferences and any consent before delivering it. DLT registration is India's counterpart to A2P 10DLC in the US, but stricter in one respect: it registers the exact wording of every template, not just the sender and its use case. The rules continue to evolve; the TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations were issued on 12 February 2025.

Key takeaways

  • DLT registration is the mandatory onboarding a business completes on an Indian operator's DLT portal before sending any commercial SMS.
  • It registers the principal entity first, then its headers, content templates and consent templates, each with its own ID.
  • Registering on one operator's portal is enough: the records are shared with every operator through the ledger.
  • Since late 2024 senders must also bind their telemarketer chain and whitelist every URL, APK and OTT link their SMS contain.
  • Each SMS then carries the PE ID, header and template ID, which operators check at scrubbing before delivering it.

Tick off what your DLT registration needs

8/8

ticked

Required
6 / 6
Optional
2 / 2

Ready to send commercial SMS

Every item ticked.

The registrations an Indian sender needs before its first commercial SMS. Tick each one: required items fill the ring, and the optional ones depend on what your messages contain.

Ready to send commercial SMS. 8 of 8 ticked.

How does DLT registration work?

  1. Register the principal entity

    On any operator's DLT portal, submit the business's legal name, PAN, a GST or other registration certificate, address and an authorised signatory's details with a letter of authorisation. Approval issues the PE ID.

  2. Register headers

    Apply for each sender ID by category, with supporting documents when the header is not obviously the brand's name.

  3. Register content and consent templates

    Submit each message's exact wording with {#var#} placeholders, its category and linked headers, plus consent templates where messages rely on recorded consent. Each approval returns a template ID.

  4. Bind the chain and whitelist links

    Declare the aggregator or telemarketer that carries your traffic against your PE ID, and whitelist every URL, APK or OTT link your messages contain.

  5. Configure your provider and test

    Load the PE ID, headers and template IDs into your SMS provider or code, send test messages to numbers on several networks and check the delivery reports before going live.

Key facts at a glance

DLT registration: key facts and limits

Mandated by
TRAI, under TCCCPR 2018
Where
Any one operator's DLT portal; shared across operators
You register
Principal entity, headers, content and consent templates
IDs you get
PE ID, approved headers, template IDs
Links
URLs, APKs, OTT links whitelisted (enforced since 1 Oct 2024)
Telemarketer chain
PE-TM chain enforced since 11 Dec 2024
Latest amendment
TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations, 12 Feb 2025
Fees
Vary by operator portal

DLT registration in code

# What your code needs from the DLT registration, kept in one reviewed file.
principal_entity_id: "{PE_ID}"
telemarketer: "{TM_ID}"            # as declared in your PE-TM chain binding
headers:
  BHLRNS: { category: service }
  "{PROMO_HEADER}": { category: promotional }
templates:
  login_otp:
    id: "{TEMPLATE_ID_OTP}"
    category: service-implicit
    header: BHLRNS
    text: "{#var#} is your OTP to log in to Bhoj Learn. It is valid for 10 minutes. Do not share it."
  class_reminder:
    id: "{TEMPLATE_ID_REMINDER}"
    category: service-implicit
    header: BHLRNS
    text: "Your class {#var#} starts at {#var#} today. Join from the Bhoj Learn app. -Bhoj Learn"
whitelisted_links:
  - "https://bhojlearn.example/"

Why does DLT registration matter?

Without DLT registration, commercial SMS to Indian numbers is simply not delivered: OTPs, order updates and campaigns alike. Registration is also where most delivery problems begin, because a mismatched template, an unlinked header, a missing chain binding or an unregistered link each blocks traffic at scrubbing. Treating DLT as a maintained system rather than a one-off form keeps an Indian SMS programme running, and it is required even when SMS is only the fallback behind WhatsApp.

Common wrong turns

Common mistakes with DLT registration

  • Registering under the wrong legal name

    The entity name and documents must match the PAN and registration certificate. Mismatches delay approval and cause trouble later when headers are checked against the brand.

  • Leaving DLT entirely to the provider

    An aggregator can help, but the registrations belong to your principal entity. Keep the portal login, and an export of headers and templates, inside the company.

  • Forgetting the chain binding

    Traffic from a telemarketer not bound to your PE is blocked. Update the PE-TM chain whenever you change or add an SMS provider.

  • Registered wording that code does not send

    Approved text that differs from what the application sends is a common reason SMS fail. Copy template text from one shared source into both the portal and the code.

  • Treating registration as one-off

    New messages, links, providers and categories all need registration updates. Review DLT records whenever a campaign or product flow changes.

Example: A Bhopal ed-tech start-up gets ready to send

A Bhopal ed-tech start-up needs SMS for login OTPs, class reminders and admission offers. It registers as a principal entity on one operator's portal with its PAN and incorporation certificate, then a header for service messages and another for promotions, and three content templates: an OTP and a class reminder under service implicit, and an admission offer under promotional. It binds its aggregator in the PE-TM chain and whitelists its short-link domain. The first test of the class reminder fails because the code sends 'Class starts at' while the template says 'Your class starts at'; fixing the string, not the registration, gets it delivered.

Good practice

Best practices for DLT registration

  • Register OTP and alert templates first; they block logins and orders if they fail.
  • Give DLT one owner inside the company, with a named backup.
  • Whitelist link domains before marketing designs the campaign.
  • Test each new template on several networks before relying on it.

DLT FAQs

Is DLT registration mandatory for sending SMS in India?+
Yes, for commercial SMS. Under TRAI's TCCCPR 2018 a business must be a registered principal entity with approved headers and content templates, or operators block its messages at scrubbing.
Do I need to register on every operator's DLT portal?+
No. Register once on any operator's DLT portal; the entity, headers and templates are shared with the other operators through the distributed ledger.
What documents are needed for DLT registration?+
Typically the business's PAN, a GST or other registration certificate, address proof and a letter of authorisation for the signatory. The exact list, and any fee, vary by operator portal.
Is DLT registration the same as 10DLC?+
No. Both register business texting, but DLT is India's system and registers each template's wording, while A2P 10DLC is the US system and registers a brand and its campaign use cases.
Do I need DLT registration if I only use WhatsApp?+
No. DLT covers SMS and telemarketing calls on Indian networks, while WhatsApp follows Meta's rules. You need DLT as soon as you add SMS, including as a fallback channel.

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