What is the country code for India?

India's country code is +91, assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Dial +91 (or 011-91 from a US landline) before the Indian phone number.

Do I need to dial an area code for Indian mobile numbers?

No. Indian mobile numbers are 10 digits and do not require an area code. Simply dial +91 followed by the full 10-digit mobile number. Area codes (STD codes) are only needed for landline numbers.

How much does it cost to call India with Sayfone?

Sayfone offers calls to India at $0.08 per minute with transparent per-minute pricing. You can call directly from your browser with no app download required.

What time should I call India from the US?

India is 9.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of the US depending on your US time zone and whether daylight saving time is in effect. For personal calls, early US morning (7–9 AM ET) reaches India in the evening. For business calls, late US evening (9:30–11 PM ET) aligns with the Indian morning.

Why does my call to India keep failing?

The most common reason is including the leading 0 from the local Indian number. When dialing from abroad, drop the 0 — the format should be +91 followed by exactly 10 digits. Also verify you're using the correct area code for landlines.

Can I call Indian toll-free numbers from the US?

Indian toll-free numbers (starting with 1800) are generally not reachable from outside India. You'll need to use the business's standard phone number for international calls.

Do I need an app to call India with Sayfone?

No. Sayfone is browser-based — you can place your call directly from your web browser without downloading an app.

Quick Answer

How to Call India from the United States

From the US, dial 011 + 91 + the 10-digit Indian phone number. On a smartphone, use +91 followed by the number. Drop any leading 0 from the Indian local number when dialing internationally.

Start calling

Cost tools

🇺🇸From United States

To India🇮🇳

$0.08

Per minute

+91

Country code

Call quality

Landline rate

$0.08/min

Mobile rate

$0.08/min

Same per-minute Sayfone rate for landline and mobile.

Average call quality

This corridor connects a large Indian diaspora and active IT/business community in the United States with contacts across India. Whether you're calling a mobile in Mumbai or a landline in Delhi, the dialing format is straightforward.

Steps at a glance

Dial 011 (US exit code) or press + on your mobile
Dial 91 (India country code)
Enter the 10-digit Indian phone number (drop any leading 0)

Sources

1
India Telephone Number Standards — e-Governance Standards, Government of India
Country code and numbering plan reference
2
ITU E.164 — Telephone Country Codes (Wikipedia)
Country code assignment reference

DIALING GUIDE

Step-by-Step: Calling India from the United States

Follow these steps to reach any Indian mobile or landline number from the US. The format differs slightly for mobile and landline numbers.

1
Dial the US exit code
From a US landline, dial 011. From a US mobile phone, you can press and hold 0 to get the + symbol, which replaces 011.
```
011 or +
```
2
Dial India's country code
Enter 91, which is India's country code assigned by the ITU under the E.164 standard.
```
011 91 … or +91 …
```
3
Enter the 10-digit Indian phone number
For mobile numbers: dial the full 10-digit number (starting with 6, 7, 8, or 9). For landlines: dial the area code (without any leading 0) followed by the subscriber number. The total after +91 is always 10 digits.
```
011 91 98XXXXXXXX (mobile) or 011 91 22 XXXXXXXX (Mumbai landline)
```
Place the call
Press call. If using Sayfone, enter the number in your browser and the call is placed at $0.08/min — no app download required.

Dialing format reference

+91

Use these patterns when entering a full international number to +91.

Mobile

+91 XXXXXXXXXX (10 digits, starts with 6–9)

Landline

+91 [area code] [subscriber number] (10 digits total)

+91 98XXXXXXXX (mobile)
+91 11 XXXXXXXX (Delhi landline)
+91 22 XXXXXXXX (Mumbai landline)
+91 80 XXXXXXXX (Bangalore landline)

Major city area codes

Delhi11

Mumbai22

Kolkata33

Chennai44

Bangalore80

Hyderabad40

Sources

1
India Telephone Number Standards — e-Governance Standards, Government of India
Official Indian numbering plan and dialing format
2
Telephone numbers in India — Wikipedia
Area code structure and number length verification

DIALING RULES

Important Dialing Rules for India

India's numbering plan has specific conventions you should know before dialing. Getting these right avoids failed calls.

Drop the leading 0

When calling India from abroad, always remove the leading 0 (trunk prefix) from the local number. For example, a Delhi landline dialled locally as 011-XXXXXXXX becomes +91 11 XXXXXXXX internationally.

Mobile numbers don't use area codes

Indian mobile numbers are 10 digits and start with 6, 7, 8, or 9. Dial +91 followed by the full 10-digit mobile number — no area code is needed.

Landline area codes vary in length

Indian landline area codes (STD codes) range from 2 to 4 digits. Major cities like Delhi (11) and Mumbai (22) have 2-digit codes; smaller towns have longer codes. The area code plus subscriber number always totals 10 digits.

Use + or 011 — not both

From a US phone, use either 011 (the US international exit code) or the + symbol before India's country code 91. Do not combine them (e.g., do not dial +011 91).

Some special numbers may not work internationally

Indian toll-free numbers (starting with 1800) and short codes are generally not reachable from outside India. Dial standard 10-digit numbers for international calls.

TIMING TIPS

Best Times to Call India from the US

India is on Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30) year-round and does not observe daylight saving time. The US spans multiple time zones and observes DST from March to November, so the gap changes seasonally.

🇮🇳

The time difference between US Eastern Time and IST is 9 hours 30 minutes during US daylight saving time and 10 hours 30 minutes during US standard time. Plan accordingly for personal or business calls.

Time & windows

Morning call (reach India in the evening)

7:00–9:00 AM ET

5:30–7:30 PM IST (during US DST) — good for personal calls after work hours in India

Late evening call (reach India in the morning)

9:30–11:00 PM ET

8:00–9:30 AM IST (during US DST) — catches the start of the Indian business day

Early morning overlap (business hours)

8:00–10:00 AM ET

5:30–7:30 PM IST — a narrow overlap window for joint meetings

🇺🇸US Eastern → IST (DST)

ET + 9h 30m = ISTMarch–November, when US observes daylight saving time

🇺🇸US Eastern → IST (Standard)

ET + 10h 30m = ISTNovember–March, when US is on standard time

🇺🇸US Pacific → IST (DST)

PT + 12h 30m = ISTMarch–November

🇺🇸US Pacific → IST (Standard)

PT + 13h 30m = ISTNovember–March

Calling tips

India does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset changes only when US clocks shift.
For personal calls, early US morning (7–9 AM ET) reaches India in the early evening — a popular window for family calls.
For IT and business calls, late US evening (9:30–11 PM ET) aligns with the start of the Indian workday.
Weekends and Indian public holidays may affect business reachability; check the Indian calendar before scheduling.

Business etiquette

Indian business culture generally favours scheduled calls over unannounced ones, especially for first-time contacts.
English is widely used in Indian business settings, but greetings in Hindi (such as 'Namaste') are appreciated.
Conference calls across US and India teams are common in the IT corridor; confirm the time zone conversion each time, since US DST shifts the gap.

Sources

1
India and US Time Zone Comparison — daylight-savings.com
Time zone offset and DST details
2
Time Zone Converter — timeanddate.com
NY–Delhi offset verification

TROUBLESHOOTING

Common Issues When Calling India from the US

If your call isn't connecting, check these common causes before redialing.

Call fails immediately

You may have included the leading 0 from the Indian local number. Remove it and try again. The full international format is +91 followed by exactly 10 digits.

Wrong number or unexpected recording

Double-check whether you're calling a mobile or landline. Mobile numbers start with 6–9 and are 10 digits with no area code. Landlines require the correct STD area code after +91.

Call connects but no audio

This can happen with network congestion or routing issues. Hang up and retry after a few minutes. If using a browser-based service like Sayfone, ensure your microphone permissions are enabled.

Cannot reach a toll-free or short-code number

Indian toll-free numbers (1800-XXX-XXXX) and short codes are typically not reachable from outside India. Contact the business directly using their standard phone number instead.

Sources

1
India Telephone Number Standards — e-Governance Standards, Government of India
Number format verification

Savings

See what you could save

Adjust the tools below to compare Sayfone with typical retail pricing for calls to India. Start with one call, then layer on monthly volume to see the bigger picture.

How to use these tools

Sayfone uses your live rate for calls to India — the same basis as the rest of this page.
First, estimate savings on a single call length. Then, model a full month of minutes versus typical retail benchmarks.
Retail competitor rows are illustrative — not a quote from any carrier.