How to call India from the US

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Are you in the US while your friends, family, or acquaintances reside in India? In this case, you probably call India from the US on a daily basis. Moreover, many Indians have permanently settled in the US, increasing the demand for calls to India at affordable rates.

 

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So how can you call India from the US every day without going broke? The main challenge is to find a quality and reliable service. With so many calling options available today, such as VOIP services, calling cards, and applications, finding one that accurately fits your specific needs isn’t easy.

Don’t let these complicated calling plans and restrictive calling cards make you miss important occasions to call home. Many calling applications make it easy and convenient for you to enjoy reliable, low-cost home phone service with unlimited calling to India on all mobile phones and landlines so that you can connect with anyone in India from the US anytime.

Calling plans for India

With these special calling plans, you can figure out how to call India from the US at optimal rates while ensuring top-notch quality.

  Regular monthly rate ($) Features Terms
BOSS Revolution - special calling plan 11 - Unlimited calls to landline and mobile phones in US & Canada

Download and install the BOSS Revolution App on your phone. You get a trial period after which you can buy a calling plan

No subscription charges. And you add credit only when you want to make a call.

Rebtel 101 Unlimited minutes to call India1 Can only call up to 30 numbers
Vonage 29.992 Unlimited talk time for mobile and landline phones

You need a Vonage adapter, cordless or standard phone

Keku 9.953 1000 minutes talk time -
Skype 19.994 2500 minutes

You need to install the application to subscribe to their calling plan

Calling Cards

When calling India from the USA, many people do it via calling cards. These calling cards allow you to contact Indian landline phones and mobile phones via your mobile and effectively connect with people back at home. Selecting the best calling card is ultimately based on the call quality and cost according to your requirements.

When you ask around for ways to call India from the US, most people will tell you that they prefer calling cards.

To call India using calling cards, the user must dial the stated number, enter the code (as instructed or indicated on the card), and dial the Indian number. In addition, many cards offer thorough guidelines for activating their service that are often printed on a calling card. Therefore, it is straightforward for users to understand and follow through with the Instructions.

With BOSS Revolution calling cards, you can easily connect to your loved ones and acquaintances in India without hassle.

To use the card, here are the steps you need to follow.

Step 1. Register on the site
Step 2.Top up your calling account
Step 3. Use access numbers to call from your cell phone or landline phone

If you aren’t calling from the application, you can choose the access number according to your preferred language:

Spanish: 716-770-BOSS (2677)
English: 716-271-BOSS (2677)
French: 716-328-9007
Creole: 716-328-1927
Amharic: 716-328-9057
Arabic: 716-328-9027

On the other hand, you can use the toll-free access numbers provided by BOSS Revolution: 1-800-376-5077 (Spanish) and 1-800-374-4922 (English). Also, 1.5¢ per minute extra charges apply when leveraging toll-free access numbers.

What Is The Country Code Of India?

+91 is the allocated country calling code for India as decided by the International Communication Union. Remember it to ensure you make calls the right way. You schould only use the following local area codes when calling landline numbers.

Local Area Codes

Agra 562 Ghaziabad 120 Mysore 821
Ahmadabad 79 Gorakhpur 551 Mumbai 22
Aligarh 571 Guntur 863 Nagpur 712
Allahabad 532 Gurgaon 124 Nasik 253
Amravati 721 Guwahati 361 Noida 120
Amritsar 183 Gwalior 751 Patna 612
Asansol 341 Hubli-Dharwad 836 Puducherry 413
Aurangabad 240 Hyderabad 40 Pune 20
Bangalore 80 Indore 731 Raipur 771
Bareilly 581 Jabalpur 761 Rajkot 281
Belgaum 831 Jaipur 141 Ranchi 651
Bhavnagar 278 Jalandhar 181 Saharanpur 132
Bhilai 788 Jammu 191 Salem 427
Bhiwandi 2522 Kannur 497 Siliguri 353
Bhopal 755 Jamshedpur 657 Solapur 217
Bhubaneswar 674 Jodhpur 291 Srinagar 194
Bikaner 151 Kanpur 512 Surat 261
Calcutta 33 Kochi 484 Thrissur 487
Calicut 495 Kollam (Quilon) 474 Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) 431
Chandigarh 172 Kota 744 Tiruppur 421
Coimbatore 422 Lucknow 522 Trivandrum 471
Cuttack 671 Ludhiana 161 Vadodara 265
Dehradun 135 Madurai 452 Varanasi 542
Delhi 11 Malappuram 483 Vasai-Virar 250
Dhanbad 326 Mangalore 824 Vijayawada 866
Faizabad 5278 Meerut 121 Visakhapatnam 891
Faridabad 129 Moradabad 591 Warangal 870

How to dial India from the US?

So how to call India? There are numerous ways to connect with your friends, acquaintances, and family residing or operating in India. 

To make calls from the US to India, you need to follow these steps:

  • Dial 011, the exit code for the USA
  • Then, dial 91, India’s country code 
  • After that, dial the 2 to 4 digit long area code if you’re calling a fixed line; but skip this step if you’re dialing a cell phone number
  • Dial the local phone number and press the call button
For example, you should dial the following number to make a simple call from the US to a landline in India - 011 91 22 XXXX XXXX. In case of making calls to a cell phone number, the following is the dialing format - 011 91 XX XXXX XXXX..

The country code for calling India is +91. When you save your Indian contact numbers to your cell phone, ensure that you include the specific country code in the phone number. Also, remember to add the area code if you are connecting to a fixed landline.

Calling India from the US cell phone

If you want the most affordable option to call cell phones in India from the US, use calling apps for a seamless connection. These apps are not only free but also offer amazing call quality. However, the person on the receiving end also needs a cell phone and the specific app installed for it to be a free call. 

Install your preferred apps and start making calls to India from the US.

Calling India from landlines

If you want the most affordable method to call landline numbers in India from the US, you might not find many options. While multiple calling apps give you the best plan and packages, it might be challenging to find one that offers good quality along with good prices. So it’s usually a trade-off between the two.  

The cheapest option would be to call India using a calling card from a landline. But it’d be best if you call using a smartphone because you can take advantage of calling apps that are virtually free. Also, if an individual doesn’t want to use calling cards, they can dial (011 91 XXXXX XXXX) to make a call from their cell phone.

 

Calling India for free

Are you still wondering how to call India without paying anything at all? 

Making free phone calls is only possible via the Internet. Free internet calling applications allow you to make calls to anyone across the globe using special software.

You can leverage these software and services for calling India from the United States to mobile numbers and landlines from the Internet. While most are free, some only have a free trial period and later require you to pay for additional features or subscribe to a monthly plan. 

Phone calls overseas can be costly, but fortunately, these powerful applications are available for free to make calls to India. These apps include:

BOSS Revolution

Boss Revolution is a feature-rich and free international calling app for Android and iPhone. This application makes calling overseas even more affordable and convenient for the users. 

If you, your family, and your friends have access to the Internet, get everyone to download and install the BOSS Revolution app on their phones to make free calls seamlessly anywhere in the world.

As a Boss Revolution user, you can leverage the application to make free international calls with a few clicks from your smartphone. Additionally, you can set up favorite contacts to enable faster dialing. The app can be used to make calls via your data plan or Wi-Fi. 

Also, new customers receive a free trial worth about 200 minutes. With BOSS Revolution, easily call India for free in the application, plus you don’t need subscriptions, add credit to mobile or landline and make calls at cost-effective rates.

Google Voice

Google Voice5 is yet another powerful Android application that lets you make free calls via the Internet. It also offers call forwarding options, a free phone number, and a voicemail inbox and functions on both mobile devices and computers, providing an added convenience.

As a user, you are just required to create a Google Account. For straightforward Internet calling to Indian phone numbers, Google Voice is a great option. 

Viber

App to app and PC to PC free phone calls are possible over the Internet when you use Viber. The platform supports multiple devices and lets you call anyone in India without incurring additional charges.

It refines your contact list on your smartphone to find other Viber users, making it simple for you to connect with those you can call for free.

You can also send videos and messages through other devices such as a desktop or mobile version. Moreover, you can also subscribe to the app for a local number in several countries to receive texts and calls; however, that feature is not free.

How to dial toll-free number in India from the US?

The toll-free calling mechanism in India operates much like any other country in the world. So, it usually starts with (1800), followed by a seven-digit destination number. Also, if you make international calls to Indian toll-free numbers, you will still be charged for it.To place a call from the US to India to such numbers, you need to be familiar with the international dialing system that requires you to use country, area, and local codes while making calls to India.

Tips to make calls to India from the US

Here are some calling tips to help you call overseas without a glitch:

  • People value and respect punctuality, so ensure you join a call on time, and if there are any changes to the schedule, let the receiver know beforehand
  • Keep your speech brief, concise, and to the point, and avoid discussing personal topics
  • Respect and consider everyone’s opinions irrespective of their title or position
  • Address the person with Miss, Mr. or Mrs. Or use their surname

Wrapping Up

The bottom line is there are various ways to make calls to India from the US, but be sure to choose the most optimal option as per your requirements and usage for a good experience.

 


 

Sources: all third party information obtained from applicable website as of May 16, 2022

  1. https://www.rebtel.com/en/india/calling/unlimited/ 
  2. https://www.vonageforhome.com/personal/phone-plans/country/India/
  3. https://www.keku.com/cheap-calls-to-india
  4. https://secure.skype.com/en/international-calls?wt_mc_id=legacy
  5. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.googlevoice

This article is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to address every aspect of the matters discussed herein. The information in this article is not intended as specific personal advice. The information in this article does not constitute legal, tax, regulatory or other professional advice from IDT Payment Services, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, “IDT”), and should not be taken or used as such by any individual. IDT makes no representation, warranty or guaranty, whether express or implied, that the content in this article is current, accurate, or complete. You should obtain professional or other substantive advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information in this article.

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