On June 19, 2025, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) formally adopted and clarified the statutory definitions of "domestic SMS" and "international SMS" via an official memorandum.
Previously, there had been a long-standing lack of clear regulatory definitions for these two categories of SMS, even though such definitions are critical to SMS pricing, traffic classification, compliance obligation enforcement, and the correct routing of critical messages such as OTPs and bank transaction notifications. Under the DoT’s official definitions, "domestic SMS" refers to SMS that is generated, transmitted, and terminated entirely within India and routed exclusively via domestic networks throughout its journey; "international SMS" refers to SMS that is generated or terminated between India and other countries.
Most notably, the new rules explicitly state that any inbound A2P SMS (such as bank notifications or e-commerce updates) whose generation, transmission, or receipt involves electronic devices, computer systems, or applications located outside India will be classified as international SMS. In terms of routing, the DoT mandates that all outbound international SMS must be routed through International Long Distance (ILD) gateways, while A2P SMS sent by telemarketers within India to telecom service providers must not be routed via ILD gateways and must remain entirely within domestic networks throughout their journey.
