Despite 250 Million Users, Why Truecaller Faces An Uncertain Future In India

Once seen as a digital shield against spam calls, Truecaller now finds itself at a critical turning point in its largest market — India. With the government piloting Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), a network-level caller identification system, the very service that made Truecaller indispensable could soon be built directly into telecom networks.

For an app with over 250 million Indian users, the shift raises an uncomfortable question: Is Truecaller slowly becoming redundant?

How Truecaller Became Essential In India

Truecaller was founded in 2009 in Stockholm by Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam, then students at Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology. The idea was simple — identify unknown callers.

Initially built for BlackBerry devices, the app expanded rapidly to Android and iOS as smartphones went mainstream. Its growth was powered by crowdsourced data, where users identified callers, flagged spam, and collectively built a massive global database.

India became Truecaller’s defining market in the mid-2010s, as spam calls and fraud exploded. The app offered relief when telecom operators had little in place. Over time, India emerged as Truecaller’s largest and most important market, accounting for the majority of its user base.

Localisation And Leadership Changes

Recognising India’s regulatory and commercial importance, Truecaller localised heavily:

• Since 2018, Indian user data has been stored within India
• A large portion of its workforce is now India-based
• In November 2024, founders stepped back from daily operations
• Rishit Jhunjhunwala took over as CEO, signalling a new strategic phase

The company operates on a freemium model, offering basic caller ID for free while earning revenue through ads, premium subscriptions, and enterprise services.

For years, this model worked — until CNAP entered the picture.

What Is CNAP And Why It Matters

Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) is a system being piloted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Unlike app-based solutions, CNAP works at the telecom network level.

Under CNAP:

• Caller names are displayed directly on the phone screen
• Data is sourced from verified KYC records of telecom operators
• No app downloads or contact permissions are required
• The service is expected to be free for users

Once implemented across major operators like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, CNAP could fundamentally change how Indians identify callers.

Why CNAP Is A Direct Threat To Truecaller

Truecaller’s core value proposition — identifying unknown callers — is exactly what CNAP aims to provide, but without third-party apps or data sharing.

For users, CNAP offers:

• Built-in functionality
• Higher trust due to verified telecom data
• No ads or permissions

For Truecaller, this creates a serious risk. Analysts believe many users may uninstall the app once caller names appear natively on their phones. That, in turn, threatens advertising revenue, subscription growth, and long-term engagement.

Can Truecaller Reinvent Itself?

Industry observers say Truecaller’s future in India depends on whether it can move beyond caller identification.

Possible paths forward include:

• Advanced AI-based fraud detection
• Business-to-customer communication tools
• Verified enterprise calling services
• Financial and scam-prevention solutions

Without a successful pivot, Truecaller risks losing relevance in a post-CNAP ecosystem — even with hundreds of millions of users.

The Bigger Picture

Truecaller’s story reflects a broader truth in technology: platforms built to solve gaps often struggle when those gaps are filled at the system level. CNAP represents a shift of power from apps to telecom networks, backed by regulation and verified data.

For Truecaller, India remains both its biggest strength and its biggest uncertainty.

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Technology | Telecom | Startups | Digital Regulation | Business News

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