India's Do-Not-Call Law Puts Telecoms on the Hook

After years of debate, India plans next month to start enforcing sweeping changes to its Do Not Call rules, making the telecommunications industry responsible for walling off the sea of unwanted calls and text messages that have been drowning mobile-phone users.

As in most countries, including the U.S., India so far has held only telemarketing firms responsible for violating the Do Not Call list. Under the new rules, the world's No. 2 country in terms of mobile-phone users, behind China, now will levy heavy fines on telecom companies that allow calls to be made to people on the list. Telemarketers here use calls and text messages to sell an array of products and services, including apartments, sauna belts for weight loss and herbal remedies for diabetes. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's National Do Not Call registry comprises about 97 million people, who enroll by telephone or text message. But under the old law, which was passed in 2007, the registry's weak penalties meant it was widely considered almost a cheat sheet for telemarketing companies on whom to call. Despite years of discussion on strengthening the law, movement toward stricter rules only moved into high gear last year after Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee received a telemarketing call while in Parliament.