The regulatory framework governing the Indian telecommunications sector is undergoing a structural transition. On 23 June 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, notified the Telecommunications (Terms and Conditions for Migration) Rules, 2026 (Migration Rules). The Migration Rules create the legal pathway for licensees, registration holders and permission holders under the previous telecom regime to migrate to the new authorisation framework.
The Migration Rules have been notified alongside four related sets of Authorisation Rules and follow public consultation on the draft Telecommunications (Migration) Rules, 2025 (Draft Rules), published on 19 September 2025. They do considerably more than revise the Draft Rules. They move from a schedule-driven migration model to a principle-based framework that is integrated with the Authorisation Rules.