DLT Registration in India: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) registration is India’s compliance scaffolding for commercial SMS. Every business that sends bulk SMS — including OTPs — must register on the operator-run DLT portals, declare their sender IDs, and pre-approve every distinct message body. This guide walks through the end-to-end process.

Overview

1. Register your business as a Principal Entity (PE-ID).
2. Apply for sender IDs (headers).
3. Submit message templates for approval.
4. Repeat across all four operator portals (Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL).
5. Maintain — renew annually, refresh templates as messages change.

Who Needs DLT Registration

Any entity sending commercial SMS to Indian numbers, including:

• OTP / transactional SMS senders.
• Promotional SMS senders.
• Service-explicit notifications.
• Bulk-SMS resellers and aggregators.

Personal SMS via consumer phones, A2P testing under throttle, and provider-managed delivery (where the provider owns the registration) are exempt.

Documents Required

• PAN of the business.
• GST registration.
• Business incorporation certificate / partnership deed.
• Authorisation letter on letterhead.
• Contact-person ID (Aadhaar / PAN).
• Bank statement of business account.

Step 1 — PE-ID Registration

Pick one operator portal as your primary (most teams start with Jio or Airtel). Sign up, upload documents, pay the registration fee, wait for approval (typically 3–7 working days). PE-ID is your principal entity identifier — it is portable across operators but each operator recognises it only after their own approval.

Step 2 — Sender ID

Apply for a 6-character alphanumeric sender ID with the correct operator-prefix for transactional / OTP. See our sender ID guide.

Step 3 — Template Approval

Submit each distinct message body. Variables must use {#var#} markers. See our template guide and variable rules.

Step 4 — Multi-Operator

Repeat the PE-ID + sender ID + template flow on each operator portal: Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL. Expect 1–4 weeks total for first complete approval. Some aggregators consolidate the multi-operator paperwork.

Costs and Timelines

• Per-operator: Rs 5,000 one-time + Rs 1,000–2,000 / year.
• Total first-year: Rs 25,000–35,000.
• Initial approval: 7–28 days.
• Per-template approval: 1–7 working days each.

How to Skip DLT Entirely

Use a DLT-free OTP API. The provider runs the entire DLT layer — PE-ID, sender IDs, templates — under their own registration. You call /otp/send and ship the same day. StartMessaging works exactly this way.

FAQ

DLT exists for valid compliance reasons but does not have to be your problem. Pick a provider that absorbs it and spend your engineering time on your actual product.