Banks are soon expected to be assigned their own unique national calling number. This number will also have the facility to receive incoming calls to help customers verify and confirm their credibility.According to industry executives cited by ET, discussions are underway with both the government and the Reserve Bank of India as lenders are hoping for the system to be implemented in the near future.At present, banks reach out to customers using multiple numbers from the ‘1600xx’ series, which do not allow incoming calls. However, the industry is pushing for a dedicated number for every bank, suffixed under the same ‘1600xx’ umbrella, which would support incoming calls.“A national number for each bank, and also allowing inbound calls to such numbers, would further enhance customer security and experience,” said a source with the matter. “We have discussed this with both the government and the Reserve Bank of India.”Earlier in January, the apex bank issued a circular directing banks to exclusively use the ‘1600xx’ series for transactional calls and the ‘140xx’ series for promotional calls. “We have also made a case for greater clarity on the usage of the 1600xx series, which includes possibilities to allow incoming calls on those numbers and exemptions for those clients who have given their consent to be contacted by the banks,” another official explained.Banks are also preparing to request formal exemptions for debt servicing calls from the mandatory use of the ‘1600xx’ series as many such calls are handled by outsourced recovery agents.Elaborating the reason behind the request, an official said, “In many cases, banks outsource their recovery activities. Now, in such cases, will the third-party recovery agents also need to use the 1600xx series? This would also require clarity from both RBI and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).”
