New Delhi, Jan. 8 -- India's telecom regulator has ramped up penalties on operators, but its crusade to improve service quality, compliance and contain spam is stalling. Hamstrung by limited powers and litigation, 97% of these fines have gone unpaid.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) imposed penalties worth Rs.45 crore in the fiscal ended March 2025 (FY25), according to data flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG's) audit of the regulator's financial statements. But Trai recovered just 3% or Rs.1.37 crore in FY25.

That compares with penalties worth Rs.2.7 crore and Rs.2.5 crore recovered in the previous fiscal.

Telecom service providers are increasingly challenging Trai's orders in the appellate tribunal. ...