India warns of hefty fines for unauthorized SIM card use in your name

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cautioned Indian citizens against allowing unauthorized persons to operate mobile SIM cards registered in their names, warning of substantial financial penalties for violations.

Under the newly revised regulations, individuals can maintain a maximum of nine active SIM cards linked to a single identity. However, the DoT's latest advisory emphasizes that SIM cards must be used only by the registered owner, with strict penalties for non-compliance.

Violations of these norms can attract fines up to 50 lakh rupees, according to the DoT's enforcement guidelines. The regulations aim to combat misuse of mobile connections for fraudulent activities, spam operations, and other illegal purposes that have increasingly plagued the Indian telecom sector.

The government has been progressively strengthening SIM card ownership rules to enhance security and traceability. The revised framework requires telecom operators to conduct stricter verification of subscribers and monitor usage patterns to ensure compliance with regulations.

Telecom operators have been instructed to deactivate SIM cards found to be in violation of the usage norms and report non-compliance to authorities. Consumers are advised to safeguard their personal identification documents and ensure their SIM cards are used only by authorized individuals.