GK News: Do you know why +91 is added in front of Indian phone numbers?
General Knowledge, GK News: Have you ever wondered why +91 is used in front of Indian phone numbers and what is this code? How was it chosen? Often this question keeps roaming in the minds of many people. Especially when they think of calling from abroad or saving their number on apps like WhatsApp. Let's understand it in very simple language.
What is +91?
+91 is the country code of India. It is a kind of digital address, which tells the whole world that this phone number is from India. Just like every country has its special code - America has +1, Britain has +44, Japan has +81. Similarly, India has +91. When you put +91 in front of your number, it becomes clear that the number is registered in India. This code is part of the International Dialing System, which makes calling around the world easy.
Why is it necessary to put +91?
Suppose your friend is in Singapore and wants to call you. If you do not dial +91, the telecom system will not understand that this number is from India and the call will either go somewhere else or will not connect at all. +91 is the global passport of your number which directs the call to the right country.
When does this code come in handy?
This code comes in handy when someone is calling India from abroad or if you are saving the number on apps like WhatsApp, or Telegram, then they ask for an international format. If you are entering the number in an online form - like Google, Amazon, or any international website.
Who chose +91 for India?
Now the big question is who chose +91 for India? So let us tell you that this decision was taken by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is a global organization and makes the rules of telecom. ITU started fixing unique country codes for every country in the 1960s so that there was a standard system of calling all over the world. India got the +91 code in the 1980s.
But why only +91 for India?
ITU divided the world into 9 zones and the codes of each zone start with a specific number. Most codes for Asia start with +9. India got +91 because it was available at that time and fit into the Asia zone. If you look at the codes of the neighboring countries, you will find that Pakistan has +92, Bangladesh has +880, and Sri Lanka has +94. All these are divided in a sequence. While choosing the code, the population of the country, the needs of the telecom network, and the already divided codes are kept in mind. A big country like India needs a short and easy code so that there is no problem in call routing. This code was decided by a committee of ITU, in which India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also participated. India worked with the ITU to ensure that the +91 code was the right one for our telecom system. +91 became more common in the 1990s when mobile phones and international calling became popular in India. Since then, the code has been the standard for both mobile and landline calls.
How does the system work?
The ITU gave each country a unique code to ensure that calls reach the right destination. When you dial +91, the telecom network knows to route the call to the Indian network. From there, the call is routed to the right phone based on the next part of the number, such as the mobile code or area code.
For example, mobile number: +91 xx76xx32xx, landline number: +91 33 12xx56xx (33 is the area code for Kolkata).
Do you have to dial +91 every time?
No, if you are in India and calling a local number, +91 is not needed. Simply dial the 10-digit number, but if you want to save the number in international format or there is a possibility of a call from abroad then saving it with +91 is a smart choice.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News 18 hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
