Network & carriers
India's National Numbering Plan is administered by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT); TRAI is the sector regulator.
+91 · IN · UTC+5:30
India
Country Code & Virtual Numbers
India's +91 code serves one of the world's largest mobile subscriber bases, all synced to a single national time zone. Capital: New Delhi · Business hours: 10:30 PM–6:30 AM EST.
// The Basics
What is the +91 country code?
Numbering in India is administered by Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which administers the National Numbering Plan; Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the sector regulator.
Numbering format
Indian mobile numbers are 10 digits and always start with 6, 7, 8, or 9 — landlines use a mix of STD area codes plus local numbers.
Calling culture
India spans a single time zone (IST, UTC+5:30) despite its size, which simplifies scheduling — but confirm business hours around regional holidays, which vary by state.
Did you know
Since 22 October 2024, India blocks incoming international calls that display an Indian +91 number, treating them as spoofed.
// Quick Facts
A quick read on India numbers.
Indian mobile numbers always begin with 6, 7, 8, or 9 — a quick way to spot a genuine mobile number versus an older landline entry.
From the US: 011 91 11 XXXX XXXX (Delhi landline)
// Reference
Dialing +91: numbers, codes and rules
- Trunk prefix
- 0 — used domestically, dropped after the country code.
- Number length
- 10 digits
- Mobile numbers
- 10 digits; mobile numbers start with 9, 8 or 7, and some newer series with 6 (e.g. +91 9XXXX XXXXX)
- Landlines
- 10 digits: a 2–4 digit STD (area) code plus a 6–8 digit subscriber number, e.g. +91 11 XXXX XXXX for Delhi
- Major area codes
- Delhi 11
- Mumbai 22
- Kolkata 33
- Chennai 44
- Hyderabad 40
- Dialing in
- From the US: 011 91 11 XXXX XXXX (Delhi landline)
- Dialing out
- 00 is the international prefix from India.
- Useful numbers
- Emergency (ERSS): 112
- Cybercrime helpline: 1930
- Time zone
- Indian Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
- Daylight saving
- No daylight saving time.
- Working week
- Monday–Friday for central government offices (five-day week since 1985); practice varies by state and employer; weekend: Saturday–Sunday for central government offices
- Since 22 October 2024, India blocks incoming international calls that display an Indian +91 number as caller ID, treating them as spoofed (DoT International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System).
- Since 15 January 2021, calls from an Indian landline to a mobile must be dialed with a 0 prefix.
- Domestic long-distance calls use the trunk prefix 0 before the STD code; it is dropped after +91.
Reported scam patterns
- DoT warns that fraudsters impersonate DoT, TRAI or police officials, threaten to disconnect numbers or stage fake 'digital arrests', and now often call from international numbers not starting with +91. source
Sources
- ITU national numbering plan entry for India (links to DoT National Numbering Plan 2003)
- e-Governance Standards (Govt of India) – telephone number format: exit code 00, trunk prefix 0, 10-digit numbers (archived copy)
- TRAI Recommendations on ensuring adequate numbering resources, 29 May 2020
- PIB – Launch of International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System (22 Oct 2024)
- PIB – DoT acts to protect citizens from spoofed-call frauds
- WION – Prefix 0 for all landline-to-mobile calls from 15 January 2021 (DoT circular)
- DoPT – Holiday policy and hours of work (five-day week from 3 June 1985)
- Sakshi Post – 2026 gazetted holidays (DoPT order)
- Factly – Emergency Response Support System (112)
- immihelp – Telephone numbering scheme in India (2-digit STD codes 11, 20, 22, 33, 40, 44, 79, 80)
- codes.in – What is an STD code (city mapping)
- World Time Server – Indian Standard Time (IST)
- US Department of State – US Embassy and consulates in India (contact numbers)
Best time to call India from the US
India is on UTC+5:30 · Business hours = – EST · Mon–Sat
// Why a Virtual Number
Why get a India virtual number?
A +91 virtual number gives your business instant local presence in India — without the overhead.
Local caller ID in India
When you call from your virtual India number, contacts see a local +91 number — dramatically improving answer rates.
No office needed
Establish a local presence in India without renting space, hiring locally, or installing any hardware.
Instant credibility
With a mobile-first customer base of over a billion, Indian consumers frequently screen unfamiliar international numbers before ever picking up.
Routes to any device
Calls to your India number ring your team on mobile, desktop, or desk phone — wherever they work.
Free tools
Look up a number from India
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Frequently Asked
India questions answered.
Answers about TRAI's numbering rules, IST scheduling, and setting up a local Indian virtual number.
Dial 011 (the US exit code), then 91, then the national number, leaving out the leading 0 used for domestic calls. Number length: 10 digits.
Start calling India, not tomorrow.
Get a virtual India number or make direct international calls to +91 — active in under ten minutes.