Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 21: In recent news, the Government is tightening enforcement of the existing limit on mobile SIM connections that one person can hold in India. Telecom companies will have to stop issuing new SIM cards to individuals who have already reached the permitted limit. This will happen from August 24, 2026 onwards.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a circular on August 17. It has instructed telecom operators to put systems in place to check a subscriber’s existing mobile connections before activating another number.
For most parts of India, an individual can have a maximum of nine mobile connections. The limit is lower in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East, where subscribers can have up to six connections.
Now, how will the Government check your SIM count?
From August 23, the DIP will also display a representative image of subscribers who have reached the maximum number of connections. This is intended to help telecom companies identify such customers when they apply for another SIM.
If a customer tries to obtain another connection after reaching the limit, the telecom operator will have to inform them that no additional mobile connection can be used.
What happens during the transition?
The DoT has asked telecom companies to complete the necessary system changes by November 30. Until then, connections activated beyond the permitted limit may be suspended immediately if the operator identifies the violation later.
The rules also require customers to declare in their Customer Application Form (CAF) how many mobile connections they already have across different telecom operators and service areas.
