NEW DELHI — The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced stricter consumer grievance redressal rules, requiring telecom operators and internet service providers to make their complaint centres accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Under the amended regulations, companies can use artificial intelligence (AI), automated systems and human representatives to handle complaints. However, human assistance must remain available for at least 16 hours every day, with technology-based services operating under appropriate human supervision. Consumers must also be clearly informed whenever they are interacting with an AI agent.
The revised rules introduce financial penalties for service providers that improperly dispose of consumer complaints or appeals. Operators will face a penalty of ₹1,000 for each wrongly disposed-of complaint and ₹5,000 for each improperly handled appeal, subject to a maximum of ₹20 lakh per quarter for each licensed service area. The changes also reduce the time available to consumers to appeal against the disposal of a complaint from 30 days to 15 days. Appellate authorities must communicate their decisions within 15 days of receiving an appeal.
The amendments also expand digital access to grievance redressal, allowing consumers to register complaints, file appeals and raise service-related requests through their telecom provider's mobile application, in addition to existing channels. The measures are aimed at improving customer support, speeding up complaint resolution and strengthening accountability among telecom service providers.
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