National Long Distance Dialing within India

This page describes in detail how to make national long distance calls within India. NLD dialing pertains to any call made from one STD code area to another STD code area - e.g., to call Mumbai from Delhi, or Bangalore from Chennai.

The key thing to be aware of are the differences between landline phone numbers and mobile phone numbers - they are structured differently with one using area codes and the other being complete and self-contained.

So, right off you need to verify that you have a valid 10-digit local phone number - whether landline or mobile. Once you have the correct local numbering, dialing is simple and straightforward, as shown below.

Read below for further information.

India Landline vs. Mobile Phone Numbers

Complete India landline and mobile phone numbers are both always 10-digits long, but they are structured somewhat differently.

Landline numbers have an area code and a local subscriber number that may or may not both be included when written. Mobile phone numbers are self-contained and are always written with all 10-digits.

In addition, with landline numbers, the area codes and the subscriber numbers can both vary in length. This can be quite confusing if you are not familiar with Indian phone numbers - and sometimes even if you are.

Check here if you need more information on India landline or mobile phone numbers.

India Landline Phone Number Format *

 0   aaa   nnn nnnn 
NLD
code
area
code
local subscriber
number

India Mobile Phone Number Format *

 0   9x   nnn nnnnn 
NLD
code
mobile access
code
mobile subscriber
number

* Phone number formatting notes:

  • The landline number format shown above is somewhat notional. In practice, area codes can vary in length from 2-digits to 4-digits and subscriber numbers from 6-digits to 8-digits. A complete landline number is exactly 10-digits and with any of the following combinations: 2:8, 3:7, or 4:6 (area code:subscriber number).
  • Landline numbers are written in varying ways, such as: 11-digit number complete with NLD code (e.g., 080 45481800), as a 10-digit number without NLD code (e.g., 80 45481800), or as just the local subscriber number of 6- to 8-digits (e.g., 45481800). The area code may be broken out or may not be broken out (e.g., 80 45481800 vs. 8045481800)
  • Mobile numbers may be written with or without the NLD code. And they may or may not break out the leading ' 9x ' access code (e.g., 94 45481800 vs. 9445481800)

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India National Long Distance Dialing

Dialing an NLD call in India is easy if you follow these simple steps.

1. If you have an 11-digit local subscriber number starting with '0', you are ready to start dialing

If your India destination phone number starts with a '0' - e.g., 080 45481800 or 094 451 23456, then start dialing.

2. Otherwise, confirm that you have a proper 10-digit local subscriber number

If you don't have a 10-digit number, then you probably have a landline number without the area code. You can find the area code here.

If you are having trouble getting a properly formatted number, check here for details on landline and mobile number in India.

3. Dial India long distance code (NLD code): +0

Begin by dialing the NLD code (aka NDD) of +0.

4. If calling an India landline phone number...

a. Dial the regional area code / STD:  aaa 

The actual area code, or STD code, may vary from 2-digits to 4-digits long. Lookup India area codes

b. Dial the local subscriber number:  nnn nnnn

the actual local subscriber number could vary from 5-digits to 8-digits long. The combined area code + subscriber number must total 10-digits.

5. If calling an India mobile phone number...

Simply dial the 10-digit mobile number:  9x xxx xxxxx

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Area Codes / STD Codes for Major India Cities

If you are making an NLD call to one of India's major, you can find the STD code below.

City STD / Area Code
Ahmedabad area code  79 
Bangalore area code  80 
Chennai area code  44 
Delhi area code  11 
Hyderabad area code  40 
Indore area code  731 
Jaipur area code  141 
Kanpur area code  512 
Kolkata area code  33 
Lucknow area code  522 
Mumbai area code  22 
Nagpur area code  712 
Patna area code  612 
Pune area code  20 
Surat area code  261 

Notes about local subscriber numbers:

  • For 2-digit area codes: Subscriber numbers are 8-digits long.
  • For 3-digit area codes: Subscriber numbers are 7-digits long.
  • For 4-digit area codes: Subscriber numbers are 6-digits long.

In all cases, the final complete landline phone number must be 10-digits long.

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