India is one of the largest telephone markets on earth, and for international businesses it is also one of the most consequential: a customer base spread across metros such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, a services sector that exports IT, engineering and support work worldwide, and a regulatory framework that takes number allocation and subscriber identity seriously. A Temptera virtual number in the +91 code gives your organisation a reachable Indian identity without building local telephone infrastructure — calls arrive on Indian ranges and are carried over SIP to whichever platform your team already uses, in India or anywhere else.

India numbering plan: prefixes and formats

India's numbering plan is built around a fixed national length: dialled from abroad, every number is +91 followed by ten digits. Domestically, callers add the trunk prefix 0 before the area code when calling a fixed line in another city. The plan divides those ten digits between an area code (called an STD code in India) and the subscriber number, with the split varying by city size.

  • Geographic fixed lines — the four largest metros carry two-digit codes: 22 for Mumbai, 11 for Delhi, 33 for Kolkata and 44 for Chennai, each followed by an eight-digit subscriber number. Other major cities use short codes as well, such as 80 for Bengaluru and 40 for Hyderabad, while smaller towns take three- or four-digit codes with correspondingly shorter subscriber numbers — the combined total always remains ten digits.
  • Mobile-format numbers — ten digits with no separate area code, beginning with 9, 8, 7 or 6, a range that has expanded downward over the years as demand consumed each leading digit.
  • Toll-free and special access — services that are free for the caller use the 1800 access code, familiar to Indian consumers from banking, airline and e-commerce helplines. These are dialled domestically and are generally not reachable from outside India.

For buyers of virtual numbers, the practical implication is that an Indian DID always presents as a clean ten-digit identity under +91, and choosing between a metro-coded fixed format and a toll-free 1800 service determines both who can reach you and what verification applies.

Who regulates numbering in India

Numbering in India is governed by two bodies working in tandem. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), part of the Ministry of Communications, administers the National Numbering Plan itself: it defines the structure of area codes and access codes, opens new leading digits when capacity runs short, and allocates number blocks to licensed operators. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator that shapes the rules under which those numbers are used — issuing recommendations on numbering resources, overseeing interconnection between carriers, and setting consumer-facing obligations such as protections against unsolicited commercial calls.

For end users of Indian numbers, the pair matters in a concrete way: DoT licensing conditions are the reason Indian ranges carry meaningful subscriber-verification duties, and TRAI's telemarketing framework influences how businesses may present themselves when calling Indian consumers. Temptera obtains its Indian ranges through carriers licensed under this framework and passes the associated registration conditions through to each order transparently.

Documents and verification for India numbers

India runs one of the most rigorous subscriber-verification regimes in Asia, and that discipline extends to virtual numbers. Depending on the range you select, you should expect some combination of the following classes of evidence: an identity document for the individual responsible for the service, proof of an address connected to the use of the number, and — for many Indian ranges — registration papers for a locally incorporated company. Business buyers may additionally be asked to name the end use of the number, reflecting India's attention to how inbound services present themselves to the public.

Requirements are not uniform across the numbering plan: a city-coded fixed range, a national format and a 1800 toll-free service can each carry a different checklist. Temptera resolves this per range — when you select a specific Indian number type, the exact document list and any local-presence condition attached to it are displayed at order time, before payment or commitment.

What businesses use India numbers for

Indian numbers earn their keep in situations where a +91 identity changes how calls are answered, routed or trusted. Among Temptera's business customers, three patterns dominate.

  • Serving Indian customers from global support hubs — software vendors, airlines and e-commerce sellers with Indian user bases publish a metro-coded or 1800 number so Indian callers reach support without international dialling, while the call itself terminates on a contact-centre platform that may sit anywhere in the world.
  • Extending IT and BPO delivery centres — firms with engineering or back-office teams in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune or the NCR use Indian DIDs to tie those teams into a single global telephony estate, so a colleague in London or New York reaches the Indian office as an internal extension rather than an international call.
  • Market entry before incorporation matures — companies preparing an Indian subsidiary, distributor network or import relationship use an Indian number to establish reachable local contact points for partners and procurement teams while the physical operation is still being set up, subject to the verification conditions each range carries.

How to get a India number

  1. Open the India catalogue and filter by number class — city-coded fixed ranges such as Mumbai (22) or Delhi (11), national formats, or 1800 toll-free.
  2. Review the verification checklist India applies to your chosen range; document classes and expected activation timing are listed beside each number type.
  3. Submit your KYC pack — identity evidence, address proof and, where the range demands it, Indian company registration — through the order form.
  4. Register the SIP destination that should receive your +91 traffic, whether that is a PBX in Bengaluru, a contact-centre stack in Europe, or a softphone team.
  5. Confirm the order, wait for verification clearance, then place a test call to the new number and check it lands on your configured route.

Nearby coverage: Australia virtual numbers · Singapore virtual numbers · Bangladesh virtual numbers · see all countries. For background, read what a virtual phone number is, how number regulations and KYC work, or explore DID numbers and SIP trunking.

Frequently asked questions

What does an India virtual number with the +91 code look like?

Every Indian number dialled from abroad starts with +91 followed by ten digits. A Mumbai fixed line appears as +91 22 followed by eight subscriber digits, a Delhi line as +91 11, while mobile-format numbers are ten digits beginning with 6, 7, 8 or 9. Toll-free services use the 1800 access code and are reached domestically rather than internationally.

Do I need an Indian company to buy a phone number in India?

For many Indian ranges, yes — carriers in India commonly ask for local business registration and an in-country address before activating a number, a consequence of the strict subscriber-verification regime enforced by the DoT. Some non-geographic classes carry lighter requirements. The precise document set for each range is displayed at order time before you commit.

Can I get a toll-free 1800 number for callers in India?

India operates a 1800 access code for toll-free calling, widely used by banks, airlines and e-commerce support desks serving Indian consumers. These numbers are typically reachable from Indian fixed and mobile networks but not from overseas, so they suit domestic customer-service traffic. Documentation and reachability details for 1800 ranges are confirmed during ordering.

How are calls to my India number delivered to my team abroad?

Inbound calls arriving on your Indian range are handed to Temptera's network and forwarded to the SIP destination you register — an IP-PBX, a contact-centre platform or a softphone fleet in any country. Codec and signalling settings are standard SIP, so platforms already handling international DID traffic need no India-specific configuration.

How long does activation of an India number take?

India sits at the stricter end of the APAC region because subscriber verification must be completed before service starts. Once your identity, address and company-registration documents are accepted, activation follows; ranges with heavier vetting take longer than lightly documented ones. The expected timeline for the specific range you select is shown at order time.

Get a India virtual number

Temptera provides India virtual numbers over SIP with instant provisioning and pay-as-you-go pricing — no minimums or lock-ins. Route-specific rates appear once you create an account. See all country coverage, read about DID numbers, or talk to sales.