DLT registration costs a one-time operator fee. As of 25 October 2026, Nexcomm works with Rs 5,900 including GST on the Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vilpower), SmartPing and Tata portals, and Rs 3,540 including GST on BSNL. That fee is for the Principal Entity registration. It is separate from your SMS provider's per-message charges.
By Rohit Jadhav. Last reviewed 25 October 2026. This is operational guidance, not legal advice. Operators set and change their fees, so check the portal on the day you apply.
"How much will DLT cost us?" is the first question most businesses ask, and the second is "what else will we pay for?". This guide answers both. It sets out the operator fees we know, explains what they cover and what they do not, and shows how to avoid paying twice. It is part of our main guide to DLT registration in India. If you would rather have the registration handled for you, Nexcomm's bulk SMS service includes registration support. More guides sit under Compliance & Regulations.
What are the DLT registration charges?
| Operator portal | One-time fee (including GST) |
|---|---|
| Jio | Rs 5,900 |
| Airtel | Rs 5,900 |
| Vodafone Idea (Vilpower) | Rs 5,900 |
| SmartPing | Rs 5,900 |
| Tata | Rs 5,900 |
| BSNL | Rs 3,540 |
These are the operator's fees, as supplied by Nexcomm's team on 25 October 2026. They are consistent with Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 plus 18 per cent GST. They are not Nexcomm charges, and we have not verified them against each portal's current published fee, so check before you pay.
What does the fee cover?
It covers registering your business as a Principal Entity on that operator's DLT portal. After approval you receive a Principal Entity ID, and you can then register headers (sender IDs), content templates and whitelisted links. The steps are laid out in the main guide. Whether header and template registration carry any extra operator charge on a given portal is something to confirm on that portal, because we have not seen a fee for them in the figures supplied.
What does it not cover?
- Your SMS provider's charges. Per-message rates, set-up fees and minimum commitments come from the provider you send through.
- Help with the paperwork. If someone prepares and submits the application for you, they may charge a service fee on top.
- Corrections. If a document is rejected and you resubmit, ask whether a fresh fee applies.
- Other operators. Each portal charges its own fee, so confirm how many your provider needs.
Do you need to register on more than one operator?
Ask your SMS provider before you pay for a second portal. Practice differs between providers, and registering more than you need adds cost for no benefit. We would not advise registering on every portal "to be safe". Pick the portal your provider recommends, and confirm in writing how your records will be used across networks.
How do you compare an all-in quote?
Ask a provider that offers to "handle DLT" for a list of what is included. A fair quote separates the operator fee, any service fee and the per-message rate. If a provider quotes one number for everything, ask how much of it is the operator fee. Our guide to how long DLT registration takes will help you judge whether a promised timeline is realistic, and DLT registration for a private limited company and for a proprietorship show the documents each route needs.
A worked example (hypothetical)
A garage owner in Kolhapur gets two quotes. This is an invented example. Provider A says "Rs 9,000, all inclusive" and Provider B says "Rs 5,900 operator fee plus Rs 2,000 service charge plus message credits at a separate rate". The owner asks A for a breakdown and learns that Rs 5,900 of the Rs 9,000 is the operator fee, Rs 1,500 is a service charge and the rest is a bundle of message credits. Once the pieces are lined up, the two quotes are close, and the owner chooses on message rates and support instead.
Common mistakes about DLT costs
- Treating the operator fee as the whole cost. Message charges come on top.
- Paying twice for the same registration. Confirm which portal you need.
- Not asking what a rejection costs. Find out before you apply.
- Relying on an old fee. Fees change, so check on the day.
- Comparing a bundled quote with a bare fee. Break both down.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DLT registration fee in India?
As of 25 October 2026, Nexcomm works with Rs 5,900 including GST on most operator portals and Rs 3,540 including GST on BSNL. It is a one-time operator fee. Check the portal for the current amount.
Is the DLT fee a one-time payment?
Nexcomm's team treats it as a one-time registration fee for the Principal Entity. Ask the portal whether any renewals or extra charges apply to headers or templates.
Does the fee include GST?
The figures above include GST. They are consistent with Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 plus 18 per cent GST.
Do I pay Nexcomm or the operator?
The fee goes to the operator portal. If a provider handles the registration for you, any service charge for doing so is separate and should be quoted on its own line.
Why are my total costs higher than the DLT fee?
Because sending SMS has its own per-message charges, and a provider may add set-up or service fees. The DLT fee is only the registration cost.
Sources checked
All checked on 25 October 2026.
- TRAI, consolidated Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (registration of headers and templates; the regulation does not state fees)
- Operator DLT portals: fees as supplied by Nexcomm's team; confirm on the portal
If you are comparing quotes for DLT and message sending and want a second opinion, you can reach our team through the contact page.