How to Call India From the United States

Whether you're calling relatives or planning a trip to visit the Taj Mahal and bazaars of Delhi, follow these instructions to make sure your call gets through. Two key things to keep in mind are the time difference and area code, you don't want to dial the wrong region of India or wake somebody up in the middle of the night.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Figure out what time it is in India. It will be 10 1/2 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States; five-and-a-half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
2. Dial 011, the international access code.
3. Dial 91, the country code for India.
4. Dial the code of the city you wish to call. Codes of major cities of India include 44 for Madras, 80 for Bangalore and 11 for New Delhi.
5. Dial the rest of the telephone number.

Tips & Warnings

• If you follow these steps but still can't connect, dial 00 and ask the international operator to help you place the call.
• Buy a prepaid phone card to eliminate the risk of a surprisingly expensive phone bill. $5 can usually get you covered for an hour or two when calling India.
• It can be very expensive to call long-distance during business hours, so try to make your phone calls in the evenings and on weekends.