Block the category: SMS BLOCK 6 to 1909 to block TRAI's "Communication / Broadcasting / Entertainment / IT" category, which is where DTH offers sit, or BLOCK PROMO to block every promotional call and SMS. Withdraw the consent your DTH contract claims, in writing, with your DTH company. Then complain about every promotional call that still comes: the same day if you can, and within 7 days at most.
Calls about "new channel packs", "free upgrade to HD" or "recharge offer" usually come from one of two places: your own DTH company (or its dealers), or an unregistered caller using an ordinary mobile number. TRAI's rules treat them differently, so it helps to know which one you are dealing with.
Step 1: block DTH offers on your mobile number
TRAI's preference register (often called DND) works the same on every network. You can register by SMS or call to 1909, through your operator, or in the TRAI DND app.
Block only TV and entertainment offers
SMS BLOCK 6 to 1909, or dial *1909*6#. Category 6 is "Communication / Broadcasting / Entertainment / IT" in TRAI's list. Offers from banks, property sites and others still reach you.
Block every promotional call and SMS
SMS BLOCK PROMO to 1909, or dial *1909*50#. OTPs, bank alerts, delivery updates, recharge reminders and government messages still come through. TRAI's September 2026 amendment folds the older "fully block" option into BLOCK PROMO, so this is the option to use.
Prefer an app?
The TRAI DND app (by TRAI) lets you pick categories and file complaints. If an SMS keyword doesn't work on your network, call 1909 and choose the category at the prompt.
What DND covers, and what it doesn't
| Call or SMS from your DTH company | Type under TRAI's rules | Blocked by BLOCK 6 / BLOCK PROMO? |
|---|---|---|
| "Upgrade to the HD pack", "add this channel", "special offer for you" | Promotional. TRAI's 2025 amendment says upsell and cross-sell offers to existing customers are not service messages. | Yes |
| Recharge due, payment received, service visit confirmed | Service or transactional | No, and you would not want them blocked |
| Offer call from an ordinary 10-digit mobile number | From an unregistered sender. TRAI's rules say promotional calls must come from 140-series numbers. | DND can't stop it; complain anyway (step 3) |
Two quick checks tell you which one you are looking at. Promotional calls from registered senders come from 140-series numbers. SMS headers now end in -P (promotional), -S (service), -T (transactional) or -G (government).
Step 2: withdraw the consent your DTH company says you gave
DTH paperwork often says you agreed to be called. Two examples, read on the companies' own websites in October 2026:
- Tata Play's subscription contract (clause 13.1) says that by subscribing you allow it, its subcontractors and business associates to contact you by call, SMS and other means, notwithstanding your registration on the Do Not Disturb register.
- Dish TV's website privacy policy says that using dishtv.in authorises it and its partners to call, SMS or email you with offers even if you are on DND, unless you specifically revoke that.
You can take that consent back. TRAI's rules let a customer revoke consent at any time, and once you do, the sender may not ask you for it again for 90 days. Genuine consent requests now come from 127-series short codes and must name the brand.
Tell your DTH company in writing
Send a short message from your registered email or through its customer care, and keep the date:
"Subscriber ID [your ID], registered mobile [number]. I withdraw any consent to promotional calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages from you, your dealers and business partners, including any consent in my subscription contract or your website terms. Please confirm. Service and transactional messages are fine."
| DTH company | Where to send it (from the company's own pages) |
|---|---|
| Dish TV | 24x7 customer care +91 95017 95017 or 1800 120 3474 (local call charges apply). State-wise nodal officers are listed on dishtv.in → Contact Us. |
| Tata Play | help@tataplay.com or toll-free 1800 208 6633. Grievance officer: Grievance.officer@tataplay.com, 080 6623 3705. |
| Airtel Digital TV | digitaltv@airtel.com (put your customer ID in the subject). Airtel's privacy policy says you can also call 121 and tell the adviser if you get a marketing call; non-Airtel numbers call 98100 12345. |
| Sun Direct | Customercare@sundirect.in or the 24x7 helpline 76010 12345. Its privacy policy says you can withdraw consent through its grievance officer, but the officer's name and email were blank on the page when we checked. |
The DPDP Act 2023 also gives you a right to withdraw consent (section 6(4)), and it must be as easy as giving it. That right becomes enforceable on 14 May 2027. TRAI's rules are the ones in force today, so lean on them.
Step 3: complain about calls that keep coming
The 2025 TRAI regulation treats a complaint made within 7 days of the call as a valid complaint that can lead to action; a later one is only recorded as a report. TRAI's own consumer guidance still says 3 days, so report the same day if you can. Our guide to reporting a spam call explains the difference.
Registered sender (140-series number or a -P header)
Complain on 1909 (call or SMS) or in the TRAI DND app. A complaint against a registered sender only counts if you had registered a preference first (step 1). Include the sender's number, your number, the date and a brief description, for example:
DTH pack upgrade offer, 140XXXXXXX, 13/10/26
Unregistered sender (ordinary 10-digit number)
Complain the same way, on 1909 or the TRAI DND app; for unregistered senders no preference registration is needed. You can also report it on Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi (sancharsaathi.gov.in), which takes both spam and suspected fraud reports.
If the "DTH" call is a scam
Callers posing as your DTH company sometimes ask for an OTP, a "KYC update" or a payment link. Report it on Chakshu. If you have already lost money, call 1930 at once or report at cybercrime.gov.in.
Why your number keeps getting called
Your DTH company has your number because you gave it. Dealers, telemarketers and scammers usually get it from somewhere else: lists traded between companies, leaked databases and data brokers. DND reduces the calls; knowing where your number has leaked helps with the rest. See who sold my phone number and our network-by-network guide to DND on Jio, Airtel and Vi.
See where your number has leaked
Saaph shows the breaches and online accounts linked to your email and phone, then helps you ask the companies holding them to stop using your details or delete them.
Run a free scan →FAQ
How do I stop Dish TV promotional calls?
SMS BLOCK 6 (TV and entertainment offers) or BLOCK PROMO (all promotional) to 1909, or use the TRAI DND app. Then tell Dish TV on +91 95017 95017 or 1800 120 3474 that you withdraw consent to promotional calls, and complain about any that continue.
Will DND stop calls from my own DTH company?
It stops promotional ones, including upgrade and cross-sell offers. It does not stop service and transactional messages such as recharge reminders.
My DTH contract says I agreed to calls even on DND. Is that the end of it?
No. TRAI's rules let you revoke consent at any time, and the company may not ask again for 90 days. Withdraw it in writing and complain about calls that follow.
How long do I have to complain?
Seven days under the 2025 regulation; TRAI's consumer guidance still says three. Complain the same day to be safe.
General information as of October 2026, from TRAI's Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (as amended in February 2025 and September 2026), the Sanchar Saathi FAQ, and the websites of Dish TV, Tata Play, Airtel and Sun Direct. SMS keywords, phone numbers and contract terms can change; if a keyword doesn't work, call 1909 or use the TRAI DND app. Saaph.in is not affiliated with TRAI or any DTH company and does not provide legal advice.