New Delhi, May 7 -- Amid a sharp rise in subscriber complaints, India's telecom regulator on Thursday proposed stricter grievance redressal norms, including penalties up to Rs.50 lakh per quarter per service area on service providers.

According to the draft amendments issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Thursday, operators could initially face fines of Rs.1,000 for each improperly dismissed complaint and Rs.5,000 for each wrongly disposed appeal if lapses are detected during audits, inspections or regulatory reviews based on quarterly reports and consumer feedback.

The proposed Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 mark Trai's first overhaul of complaint-handling norms in 12...