Jammu, August 21: India will tighten enforcement of existing limits on mobile connections from August 24, with telecom operators required to prevent customers from obtaining additional SIM cards after reaching the permitted limit.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will use its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to help telecom companies identify subscribers who have reached the maximum number of connections registered in their names across different operators.
In most parts of India, an individual can hold up to nine mobile connections, while the limit is six in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-Eastern states.
The limit applies across all telecom operators and service areas. The rule itself is not new, but enforcement is now being strengthened.
Under the new mechanism, telecom operators will have to check whether a customer has already reached the applicable limit before issuing another connection. Applicants will also have to disclose mobile numbers already registered in their names, including those issued by other operators.
The DoT platform will allow operators to cross-check subscriber details across networks. From August 23, it will also provide a representative image for subscribers identified as having reached the applicable limit, which operators can use while processing new applications.
Officials said the move is aimed at preventing misuse of mobile connections for fraud, spam, impersonation and other illegal activities.
Subscribers who already have more than the permitted number of connections will not automatically lose all their numbers on August 24. However, they may be asked to surrender, transfer or disconnect excess connections to comply with the rules.
Consumers have also been advised to check mobile numbers registered in their names through the government’s Sanchar Saathi service and report any unauthorised or unwanted connections.
Telecom operators have been given until November 30, 2026, to complete their technical integration with the Digital Intelligence Platform.
The government has clarified that the August 24 measure is primarily a stronger enforcement mechanism for an existing SIM limit, rather than the introduction of a new nine-SIM rule.
