+91 140 numbers: India's telemarketing series

A call from a number starting with 140 (shown as +91 140 or 0091 140) comes from a telemarketer registered with Indian telecom operators, and under TRAI rules the 140 series is reserved for promotional calls. It is usually a sales call from a bank, insurer, broker, telecom operator or retailer. You can stop these calls by registering your preference in India's Do Not Disturb (DND) registry.

India · Telemarketing series · Facts checked November 9, 2026

What these numbers look like

From abroad: +91 140 XXX XXXX
Inside India: 140XXXXXXX

140 numbers are 10 digits long (140 plus seven digits). Search strings like +0091 140... or 0091140... are the same number written with the international prefix 00 instead of +. If you have an Indian SIM and are roaming abroad, the call can still reach you and show +91 140.

Who uses +91 140 numbers?

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) allocated the 140xxxxxxx series to telemarketers, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) controls how it is used under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018. On 20 August 2024 TRAI directed operators to move all telemarketing calls from 140 numbers onto the blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform by 30 September 2024, so each call can be checked against the recipient's DND preferences. TRAI's February 2025 amendments to TCCCPR confirmed that 140 continues for promotional calls, moved service and transactional calls to the separate 1600 series, and restricted telemarketing from ordinary 10-digit mobile numbers.

Who is calling you from a +91 140 number?

A registered business or its telemarketing agency making a promotional call: loan or credit card offers, insurance, investment products, mobile plan upgrades, property or courses. Senders must be registered on the DLT platform, so the call is traceable. Since February 2025, genuine service and transactional calls from banks and other financial institutions should come from 1600 numbers instead, so a 140 call is almost always a sales pitch.

Scams seen with +91 140 numbers

The government told Parliament in February 2026 that most unsolicited commercial calls come from unregistered telemarketers using ordinary 10-digit mobile numbers, bypassing the 140 series and DND checks. A loan or prize offer from a normal mobile number deserves more suspicion than a 140 call.
A 140 number only tells you the caller is a registered telemarketer. It does not make the offer genuine. Never share an OTP, card details or UPI PIN during a sales call.

What to do about a call from +91 140

Block promotional calls at the source by registering on the DND registry: call or SMS 1909, use the TRAI DND app, or use your operator's app or website. You can block all promotional calls or only some categories.
If you get a promotional call after registering, complain within 7 days through the same channels (1909 or the TRAI DND app). Under the February 2025 rules a complaint needs only your number, the caller's number, the date and a short description.
If the call looked like fraud (someone posing as a bank, police or government official), report it on the Chakshu facility of the DoT's Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in).

Check the exact number

A series tells you what kind of line called. To check the full number you got, use these free tools:

Phone number validator: which country, mobile or landline, and whether the length is right.
Spam number checker: warning signs that a caller is a scammer.
Who called me? Reverse phone lookup: what the number tells you about the caller.
India country code +91: full dialing guide and number formats.
Calling India from abroad: per-minute rates if you need to call someone there.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 140 number a scam?

Usually not. 140 numbers are issued to registered telemarketers for promotional calls and run through TRAI's DLT system, which makes them traceable. The call is a sales call, so judge the offer on its merits and never share OTPs or card details.

Can I block all 140 calls?

Yes. Register for DND by calling or texting 1909, or through the TRAI DND app or your operator's app. Registered telemarketers must then respect your choice, and you can complain within 7 days if they don't.

Why does the number show as +0091 140...?

00 is the international dialling prefix, so +0091 or 0091 is just another way of writing +91, India's country code. The number itself is a 140-series telemarketing line.

What is the difference between 140 and 1600 numbers?

140 is for promotional calls. 1600 is for service and transactional calls from banks, financial firms, insurers and government bodies, such as alerts about your own account.

Sources

Numbering facts on this page come from the regulator or operator sources below, checked November 9, 2026. We never publish individual personal phone numbers.

PIB - TRAI issues directions to Access Service Providers to curb misuse of messaging services (20 Aug 2024; 140 series to DLT by 30 Sep 2024) (pib.gov.in)
PIB - TRAI Strengthens Consumer Protection with Amendments to TCCCPR, 2018 (12 Feb 2025) (pib.gov.in)
PIB - DOT and TRAI have taken widespread action for curbing spam calls and SMS (Rajya Sabha reply, 5 Feb 2026) (pib.gov.in)
PIB - DoT allots separate numbering series exclusively for service and transactional voice calls (30 May 2024; 140xxxxxxx and Chakshu reporting) (pib.gov.in)