TRAI DLT guide
DLT registration for business SMS: a step-by-step guide
Since 2021, every business SMS in India must be registered on a DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) platform. Here is what DLT means for your business, the three things you register, and how to use them on VASbay.
What is DLT?
DLT is the system the telecom operators use, under TRAI’s TCCCPR 2018 regulation, to keep a record of who sends commercial SMS, from which sender IDs and with which message content. Operators check every SMS against these records. If something does not match, the SMS is blocked – so DLT registration is the first step before sending any business SMS.
The three things you register
| Item | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Entity (Principal Entity) | Your business. You get an Entity ID after registration with your company documents. | 1701XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |
| Header (sender ID) | The name customers see as the sender. 6 letters for service and transactional SMS; numeric for promotional SMS. | TXAAVY |
| Content template | The exact text of each message, with {#var#} where values change. You get a Template (content) ID. | Dear {#var#}, your order {#var#} is shipped. -Texaavy |
How to register on DLT
- Choose a DLT portal. Each operator runs one (for example Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea and BSNL). Registering on one is enough; the records are shared.
- Register your entity. Submit your business details and documents (such as PAN, GST certificate or certificate of incorporation, and an authorisation letter). Note the Entity ID when it is approved.
- Register your headers. Apply for the sender IDs you want, choosing the right category (transactional, service or promotional).
- Register your templates. Add the text of each message type, choose its category and link it to a header. Include your brand name in every template.
- Add them in VASbay. Request your sender ID in VASbay and add each approved template with its content ID. VASbay sends both IDs with every SMS.
Template categories
- Transactional – OTPs and banking alerts for your own customers. Delivered to DND numbers.
- Service implicit – updates a customer expects from a service they use (orders, bookings, reminders). Delivered to DND numbers.
- Service explicit – messages sent with the customer’s explicit consent.
- Promotional – offers and marketing. Delivered only to non-DND numbers, between 9 AM and 9 PM.
Common reasons SMS get blocked
- The text differs from the template – an extra space, a changed word or a missing full stop is enough.
- The template is linked to a different header than the one used.
- A promotional template is used on the transactional route, or the other way round.
- The
{#var#}value is longer than allowed (30 characters per variable). - The template has no brand name in it.
Stuck with DLT? Our team helps VASbay customers with entity, header and template registration. Contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Under TRAI’s TCCCPR 2018 regulation, every business that sends commercial SMS must register its entity, headers and templates on a DLT platform. Unregistered SMS are blocked by the operators.
Entity approval usually takes a few working days, depending on the operator portal and your documents. Headers and templates are usually approved faster once the entity is active.
No. Register on one DLT portal; the operators share the records between them.
It marks a variable part of the message – a name, an amount, a date or an OTP. Each variable can hold up to 30 characters. Everything outside the variables must be sent exactly as registered.
The entity ID is linked to your approved sender ID, and the content ID is saved with each template in VASbay. Both are filled in automatically when you pick a sender ID and a template in Compose SMS.
Ready to send your first message?
Create a free VASbay account, register your DLT details and start sending in minutes. Our team helps you with sender IDs and templates.