In a major crackdown on spam calls and messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has slapped penalties totaling ₹150 crore on telecom operators for failing to curb unsolicited commercial communication. The fines cover a three-year period from 2020 onwards and stem from two key violations — wrongful closure of customer complaints about spam and failure to act against numbers and resources used by spammers. TRAI clarified that the penalties were not for spam passing through networks, but for non-compliance with mandated preventive actions. Under existing rules, TRAI can impose up to ₹50 lakh per month per service area. Several telecom operators have contested the action, challenging the regulator’s decision.