In today’s SMS marketing landscape, registering your business on DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) platforms is no longer optional — it’s mandatory. If you want to send promotional or transactional SMS in India, you’ll first need to register your business (Principal Entity) on approved platforms like VILPOWER (Vodafone Idea) and BSNL.

But don’t worry; the process isn’t as scary as it sounds. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the complete process of registering a new principal entity on both VILPOWER and BSNL DLT platforms — the right way.

Starting Your Registration Journey

To begin with, head over to the official DLT portal of your choice (either VILPOWER or BSNL). Choose the ‘Principal Entity’ or ‘Enterprise’ option while signing up. You’ll be asked to enter your business PAN, along with a working mobile number and email ID of the person authorized to handle this account.

Once you submit these details, you’ll receive OTPs on both your mobile and email. These must be verified before you proceed. Pro tip: if you don’t see the email in your inbox also check spam folder, try searching terms like ‘DLT verification mail’ or ‘BSNL DLT confirmation’ to locate it.

Filling Out Business Information

After verifying your contact details, you’ll be directed to a form where you’ll enter your company information. Make sure the entity name exactly matches your official documents — especially your PAN Card certificate if you’re using one. Add your address, contact person’s details, and upload all required documents.

What Documents Are Needed?

This depends on whether you’re registering as an individual or business:

To register company or firm, you’ll need to upload your GST certificate, Shop & Establishment certificate, FSSAI license, Certificate of Incorporation or other documents by government side.

You’ll also be asked to upload a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for LOA format please contact us in a specific format, along with proof that the person signing it is indeed authorized — like an MCA listing, GST document, MOU, MOA, etc.

Adding a Telemarketer (Arihant Global)

Update Telemarketer ID to the DLT Platforms under the PE-TM chain. To add a Telemarketer, kindly search for our TM ID “1202159306972102209” and select “Arihant Global Services India Private Limited“. Clicks verify — and you’re done with this step.

Registering SMS Headers

After successful submission of entity approval, you will receive confirmation about entity approval. And after entity approval need to request for headers approval process by following the below steps:

Choose the type — Promotional (for marketing messages) or others (for service and transactional messages). Pick a name of six alphabets which must reflects your brand or company name. If your chosen header doesn’t exactly match your business name, you’ll need to provide supporting documents or website links (like your website or trademark license).

Add a short explanation of why you’re choosing this header, and then submit for approval. This usually takes a few hours to a day.

Creating SMS Content Templates

Now comes the most important part — content templates. These are the actual message formats you’ll use to send SMS.

Go to the template section, choose the right category: Promotional, Service Explicit, Service Implicit, or Transactional. Assign the correct header, link any required consent template, and write your message.

Note- Transactional category is only for Banking sector.

Make sure to use placeholders like {#var#} wherever you need dynamic content (like names, dates, OTPs, etc.). Your brand name should always be included in the message content.

One common mistake people make is using the wrong placeholder format or leaving extra spaces — so double-check everything before hitting submit.

Understanding Header Types

A quick note here — Promotional headers are numeric and used for bulk marketing SMS, like offers or sales. These are category-based (healthcare, education, etc.).

Other headers, which are alphabetic, are used for transactional or service messages. For example, appointment reminders, order updates, or banking OTPs.

Only banks can use transactional templates for OTPs, so don’t try using that category for regular messages — it’ll get rejected.

Final Thoughts

The whole DLT process may seem a bit lengthy, but it’s actually pretty straightforward once you know the steps. Once your entity, headers, and templates are approved, you’re good to go — and can start sending SMS through your provider.

Still stuck or confused about anything? Arihant Global is here to help you with every step — from entity registration to campaign setup.

Need hands-on support? Reach out to us, and we’ll make your DLT journey hassle-free.