Many times, you must have got bulk SMS messages on your mobile like LM-ICICI bank, TN-Grtoffer etc. Have you wondered what these codes are, what they signify and how they originate? These are nothing, but bulk SMS messages which originate due to the "bulk SMS providers".  So, what do these codes basically mean?

As per the new regulations of the TRAI, the bulk SMS providers are instructed to restrict the "Sender ID" to 8 characters. The first two characters are used to specify who the service provider is and the place from where it is originated. For example: if ICICIBANK sends an SMS to you using the bulk SMS provider located at Tamil Nadu that uses Airtel. You will receive it as AT-ICICIBANKBANK where the first character specifies which service provider the message has originated from and the second character specifies the location of the provider.

The details of the SMS codes can be shown as below:

Service Provider............ Code 

Bharti Airtel....................... A
BSNL................................ B
Datacom Solutions............... C

Aircel, Dishnet Wireless........ D

Reliance Telecom................ E
HFCL Infotel....................... H
Idea Cellular....................... I

BPL Mobile/Loop Telecom...... L
MTNL................................ M
Reliance Communications...... R 
S tel................................. S
Shyam Telecom.................. Y
Spice Telecom.................... P
Swan Telecom................... W
Tata Teleservices............... T
Unitech Group.....................U
Vodafone Group.................. V


Area............... Code
Andhra Pradesh.................. A
Assam.............................. S
Bihar................................ B
Delhi................................ D
Gujarat............................ G
Haryana........................... H
Himachal Pradesh............... I
Jammu & Kashmir............... J
Karnataka........................ X
Kerala............................. L
Kolkata........................... K
Madhya Pradesh............... Y
Maharashtra..................... Z
Mumbai........................... M
North East....................... N
Orissa............................. O
Punjab........................... P
Rajasthan........................ R
Tamil Nadu....................... T
UP-East........................... E
UP-West......................... W
West Bengal.................... V

So, the next time, you get a bulk SMS message, you can easily know from which location and through which operator/service provider it has come.