Overview

• The draft Telecom Cyber Security Rules under 30-day consultation will require telecommunication identifier user entities to validate customer numbers against a central database via the new MNV platform
• Entities authorised by government agencies will pay ₹1.50 per validation request and others ₹3, with suspicious numbers eligible for 90-day deactivation
• Law enforcement and designated agencies gain authority to access transaction data from non-telecom entities and suspend identifiers under the proposed rules
• A leading bank has launched a pilot to assess operational workflows, privacy safeguards and cost implications of the real-time validation system
• The MNV initiative builds on prior measures—mass SIM disconnections in 2024, the Digital Intelligence Platform and Chakshu reporting tool—to counter digital arrest scams that cost Indians nearly ₹2,000 crore last year