+91 1600 numbers: India's series for bank and service calls

A call from a number starting with 1600 is a service or transactional call from an Indian bank, NBFC, mutual fund, stockbroker, pension fund, insurer or government organisation. TRAI made the 1600 series mandatory for these calls in phases between January and March 2026, so the callers you would expect here are your own bank or insurer. Operators verify every entity before issuing a 1600 number.

India · Service and transactional calls · Facts checked November 9, 2026

What these numbers look like

From abroad
+91 1600 XXX XXX
Inside India
1600XXXXXX

1600 numbers are 10 digits, written by DoT as 1600-ABC-XXX. ABC is a code allotted to each telecom operator for each licensed service area (for example, DoT allotted 1600-403 to one operator for Delhi), and XXX runs from 000 to 999. The digits after 1600 identify the operator and circle, not the type of regulator.

Who uses +91 1600 numbers?

The Department of Telecommunications announced a separate 160 series for service and transactional calls in May 2024, and its instructions of 23 December 2024 set up the 1600 numbering series, which DoT then allotted to operators by licensed service area in early 2025. Operators must verify each entity before giving it a number, and the entity must use it only for service and transactional calls under TRAI's TCCCPR, 2018. TRAI's direction of 19 November 2025 set deadlines: commercial banks by 1 January 2026; large NBFCs, payments banks and small finance banks by 1 February 2026; mutual funds, AMCs, pension fund managers and central recordkeeping agencies by 15 February 2026; other NBFCs, co-operative banks and regional rural banks by 1 March 2026; qualified stockbrokers by 15 March 2026. A separate direction of 16 December 2025 required IRDAI-regulated insurers to adopt 1600 by 15 February 2026. TRAI says the series is assigned to BFSI entities and government organisations.

Who is calling you from a +91 1600 number?

Your bank, card issuer, NBFC, mutual fund, stockbroker, pension fund or insurer calling about something you already hold with them: a transaction alert, EMI reminder, KYC, policy renewal or claim. Government organisations can also use the series. Sales calls belong on the 140 series, not 1600. By December 2025 about 570 entities had adopted the series, using more than 3,000 numbers.

Scams seen with +91 1600 numbers

  • TRAI introduced the series to curb impersonation-based financial fraud over voice calls. Callers posing as bank staff from ordinary 10-digit mobile numbers are the pattern it targets: since the 2026 deadlines, a regulated bank or insurer should not be calling you about your account from a regular mobile number.
  • A 1600 caller ID shows the call came from a verified entity, but no genuine bank or insurer needs your OTP, UPI PIN or card PIN. If a caller asks for one, hang up.

What to do about a call from +91 1600

  1. If you have an account or policy with the business, it is most likely genuine. If in doubt, hang up and call the number printed on your card, passbook or the official website.
  2. Never share OTPs, PINs or passwords on any call, including a 1600 call.
  3. If someone claiming to be your bank calls from an ordinary mobile number, treat it as suspect and report it on the Chakshu facility at 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:

Frequently asked questions

Is a 1600 number genuine?

1600 numbers are issued only to verified banks, financial institutions, insurers and government bodies, for service and transactional calls. A call from one is far more likely to be genuine than a bank call from an ordinary mobile number, but still never share an OTP or PIN.

Do the digits after 1600 tell me which bank is calling?

No. In DoT's format 1600-ABC-XXX, ABC identifies the telecom operator and service area, and the last three digits are the individual number. The digits don't name the bank or its regulator.

When did banks have to switch to 1600?

Commercial banks by 1 January 2026, insurers by 15 February 2026, and the remaining RBI-, SEBI- and PFRDA-regulated entities in stages up to 15 March 2026.

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.

  • TRAI Press Release No. 135/2025 - Direction mandating phase-wise adoption of 1600-series by BFSI entities regulated by RBI, SEBI and PFRDA (19 Nov 2025) (trai.gov.in)
  • TRAI Press Release No. 151/2025 - Direction mandating adoption of 1600-series by entities regulated by IRDAI (17 Dec 2025) (trai.gov.in)
  • DoT - Allocation of telecommunication identifiers in numbering series 1600 to Vodafone Idea Ltd (11 Feb 2025; 1600-ABC-XXX format) (dot.gov.in)
  • DoT - Allocation of telecommunication identifiers in numbering series 1600 to Tata Teleservices Ltd (31 Jan 2025) (dot.gov.in)
  • PIB - DoT allots separate numbering series exclusively for service and transactional voice calls (30 May 2024) (pib.gov.in)
  • PIB - TRAI amendments to TCCCPR, 2018 (12 Feb 2025) (pib.gov.in)

Other number series