The study titled ‘Rethinking India’s SIM Binding Mandate: An Empirical Assessment’ by think tank Esya Centre is based on responses from 2,033 consumers across 18 Indian cities and 353 businesses across 17 cities.
Nearly 98.88 per cent of surveyed consumers said losing messaging access due to an inactive primary SIM would cause moderate to extreme inconvenience.
They pointed out that periodic re-authentication, especially during travel, would interrupt conversations. Though the telecom department has replaced mandatory six-hour logouts with risk-based logouts, users say it will be a hassle during international travel. The study also highlights the growing dependence of Indian businesses on internet-based messaging services for customer interactions, employee coordination and service delivery. Restrictions on such arrangements could significantly disrupt business operations.
Nearly 98.88 per cent of surveyed consumers said losing messaging access due to an inactive primary SIM would cause moderate to extreme inconvenience. It found that only 33 per cent of surveyed international travellers use an Indian SIM with an active roaming plan, while 67.1 per cent rely on alternatives such as local SIM cards, Wi-Fi-only access or secondary SIM arrangements. Among surveyed businesses, 92 per cent rely on companion-device access, while 86 per cent use the same business number across multiple devices. Approximately 78 per cent of surveyed businesses anticipate that restricting access to a single handset would be extremely or moderately disruptive, while 83.5 per cent expect delays and operational errors. Further, 82 per cent report that forced logouts would disrupt ongoing information exchange and workflows. The telecom department had first issued directions to service providers on November 28, 2025, to ensure compliance with its SIM-binding norms by March 28, 2026. In April, the deadline was extended to December 31, 2026 following requests from the industry.
