India’s telecom industry’s door-to-door SIM card delivery initiative has been temporarily halted.
Both Reliance Jio and Airtel have paused their Express SIM Delivery services following a directive from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which raised concerns about national security.
This service, a collaboration between Airtel and Zomato-owned Blinkit, was launched on April 15 in select markets but is now suspended.
What was Jio’s plan?
Jio had planned to roll out its Express SIM Delivery Service starting April 25, as stated in a letter sent to the DoT on April 16.
However, the Department intervened, prompting Jio to cancel the plan. The government insists that customer identity must be verified before SIM card delivery.
Why does the DoT object?
The DoT has expressed security concerns over the express SIM delivery model. Reports from the Economic Times reveal that Airtel has yet to respond to an email on the matter.
Following the DoT’s directive, telecom companies are reassessing their services. Blinkit confirmed the service is temporarily paused, not permanently discontinued.
Airtel’s delivery service
Airtel, in partnership with Blinkit, offered a home SIM delivery service for Rs 49, where customers completed self-KYC at home after receiving the SIM.
However, the DoT mandates that the Aadhaar-based KYC process must be completed before SIM delivery.
The DoT has instructed telecom companies to ensure all verification procedures are followed prior to SIM card delivery.
