Country guide
How to Call India from the US
The US-to-India route carries an enormous volume of calls every day, family check-ins across a huge diaspora, and a constant stream of business and IT calls into offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. This guide covers the exact dialing format, India's unusual half-hour time offset, and the cheapest reliable way to reach an Indian landline or mobile straight from your browser, with no app to install.
India's country code and dialing format
India's country calling code is +91. From a US phone you dial the international format as 011 + 91 + the 10-digit Indian number. From a browser-based service like Phonecall you simply enter + 91 and the number, the 011 exit code is added for you, so the same number works whether you are at home in the US, traveling, or abroad.
Every Indian number is 10 digits. Landlines pair an STD (city) code with a local number, and the two together always total 10 digits, so a longer city code means a shorter local number. Delhi uses 11, Mumbai 22, Bangalore 80, Chennai 44, Hyderabad 40, and Kolkata 33. Mobile numbers are a flat 10 digits and always begin with 6, 7, 8, or 9. A common mistake is keeping the trunk 0 that Indians dial domestically, drop it. Internationally the number is +91 followed by the 10 digits, with no leading 0.
- Delhi landline: +91 11 XXXX XXXX
- Mumbai landline: +91 22 XXXX XXXX
- Bangalore landline: +91 80 XXXX XXXX
- Any Indian mobile: +91 9XXXX XXXXX (10 digits, starts 6-9, no leading 0)
Time difference between the US and India
India runs on a single time zone, India Standard Time, and IST is one of the few zones in the world offset by a half hour: it is UTC+5:30. That half hour trips up a lot of callers, meeting invites land on the :30, not the :00. India observes no daylight saving time, so the offset never shifts on the Indian side; only the US end moves twice a year.
From US Eastern, India is roughly 9.5 hours ahead in summer and 10.5 hours ahead in winter; from US Pacific add another three hours. In practice, US morning is the sweet spot: 8 AM to noon Eastern lands in the Indian early evening, comfortable for both family calls and reaching an office before staff head home. A late US evening call arrives during the Indian working day, which suits business but is late for most households.
The cheapest way to call India from the US
US carriers treat India as an international destination. Without a calling plan add-on, per-minute charges to Indian mobiles add up quickly, and using roaming while you travel is worse still. A browser-based VoIP call routes over the internet directly to the Indian carrier, so you pay only the destination rate, a few cents a minute, shown on screen before you press call.
Phonecall bills per second instead of rounding up to the next minute, has no monthly fee, and no minimum top-up, and your credit never expires. Your first 60-second call is free, so you can confirm a number connects before spending anything. App-to-app calling like WhatsApp is also free, but it only reaches someone who has the same app open on a smartphone, it will not connect to an Indian landline, a bank helpline, a hospital, or an office desk phone.
See live per-minute rates
How to call India from your browser, step by step
1. Open Phonecall
Go to phonecall.app in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge on any laptop, desktop, or phone. There is nothing to download and no SIM involved.
2. Sign in and allow your microphone
Create an account with email or Google, then allow microphone access when the browser prompts you.
3. Enter the number as +91
Type + 91, then the 10-digit number, STD code plus local number for a landline, or the full mobile number. Drop any leading 0; spaces are stripped automatically.
4. Check the rate and press call
The per-minute rate to that Indian number appears before the call connects. Press call; the other person answers on their normal landline or mobile.
Frequently asked questions
What is the country code for India?
India's country code is 91. From the US you dial 011 + 91 + the 10-digit number on a regular phone, or simply + 91 and the number from a browser-based service like Phonecall.
Why is India 30 minutes off, and when is the best time to call?
India Standard Time is UTC+5:30, a half-hour offset that is correct, not a typo. India keeps no daylight saving, so the gap to US Eastern is about 9.5 hours in summer and 10.5 in winter. A US morning call, roughly 8 AM to noon Eastern, reaches India in the early evening, which works well for both family and offices.
Is calling an Indian mobile different from a landline?
The dialing format is the same, +91 and 10 digits with no leading 0. The difference is structure: a landline combines an STD code (such as 11 for Delhi or 80 for Bangalore) with a local number, while a mobile is a flat 10-digit number starting 6, 7, 8, or 9. Rates differ slightly, and Phonecall shows the exact figure before you connect.
Can I reach an Indian landline with WhatsApp, or do I need Phonecall?
WhatsApp calls are free but only work when the other person also has WhatsApp open on a smartphone with internet. To reach an Indian landline, a business or government line, or a relative who does not use the app, Phonecall connects to the real phone number for a few cents a minute, with the first 60-second call free.
Calling Indian offices vs family numbers
Business calls into Indian IT and support hubs usually target landline desk phones tied to a city STD code, while family calls almost always go to a 10-digit mobile. Either way the format is identical, +91 and 10 digits, and Phonecall shows the exact per-minute rate for the number you typed before you connect, over carrier-grade HD voice.