The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper proposing a regulatory framework for the sale of SIM and eSIM cards issued by foreign telecom service providers (TSPs), specifically for use in machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices intended for export.

This move follows a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, made in September 2024. The DoT had sought TRAI’s recommendations under the TRAI Act regarding the terms and conditions for issuing and renewing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for importing and selling foreign TSP SIM/eSIM cards in such export-focused devices.

TRAI has now made the consultation paper available on its official website (www.trai.gov.in), inviting feedback from stakeholders.

Written comments are to be submitted by August 1, 2025, and counter-comments by August 18, 2025. Responses can be sent electronically to Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), at [email protected].

The consultation is seen as a step toward ensuring transparency and regulatory oversight in the fast-growing cross-border M2M and IoT ecosystem.