NEW DELHI, Nov. 2 -- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday notified tighter consumer grievance redressal rules, its first overhaul of the framework in 12 years. The changes introduce penalties for improperly closed complaints, shorter resolution timelines and round-the-clock customer support requirements for telecom operators.

Under the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, operators will face penalties of Rs.1,000 for every improperly closed complaint and Rs.5,000 for every improperly closed appeal, capped at Rs.20 lakh per quarter for each Licensed Service Area (LSA).

The overhaul comes amid rising complaints against telecom operators. Direct complaints received by Trai rose 6...