Nepali language made mandatory in telecom services across Sikkim

The Central government has made the Nepali language mandatory across all telecom services in Sikkim. The directive, issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, requires all telecom service providers to incorporate Nepali in customer care operations, SMS alerts, and interactive voice response systems (IVRS).

The official memorandum, dated September 2 and signed by Rakesh Yadav, Assistant Wireless Advisor (Licensing Policy), emphasizes that the step has been taken to ensure subscribers in Sikkim can communicate with service providers in the state’s widely spoken language. Nepali, the lingua franca of Sikkim, is spoken by a majority of the state’s population.

The directive mandates that telecom operators, internet service providers (ISPs), and virtual network operators (VNOs) must introduce Nepali alongside English and Hindi in all services. From SMS alerts about bills and recharges to call centre assistance, subscribers will now be able to access information in their mother tongue.

According to the DoT, telecom operators must implement the changes within 30 days of the notification and submit compliance reports to the concerned Licensed Service Area (LSA) office. This means subscribers in Sikkim should start receiving telecom-related communications in Nepali by early October 2025.

The order has been circulated to all Unified License (UL) holders, Virtual Network Operators (UL-VNO), and Internet Service Providers operating under the licensing frameworks of 2002 and 2007. Officials have cautioned that strict monitoring will be undertaken, and delays in compliance may invite regulatory scrutiny.