Landline and Mobile Phone Numbers in Chennai

Phone Number Formats to Call Chennai

To make an international telephone call to Chennai, you need to dial a phone number formatted correctly for either a landline or mobile phone. Each is a 10-digit number, but the format is slightly different for landline numbers vs. mobile numbers. The proper phone number formats are as shown below.

Continue reading below for further details on landline and mobile dialing.

Format to Dial a Chennai Landline Phone

xxx	91	44	xxxx xxxx
international access code	country code	area code	local subscriber number

Format to Dial a Chennai Mobile Phone

xxx	91	9x xx xxxxxx
international access code	country code	10-digit mobile number

[Note: In 2009 / 2010, India mobile phone numbers are expected to change to 11-digits on account of rapid mobile phone growth. Details are still to be announced. Read more]

Dialing Chennai Landline Phone Numbers

When making an international (or domestic long distance) call to a Chennai landline phone, you need to dial a 10-digit phone number that consists of a 2-digit area code PLUS an 8-digit subscriber number.

2-Digit Chennai Area Code

Despite it's large population, Chennai proper currently has only one area code / city code and that is: ' 44 '.

You need to dial this 2-digit area code, along with an 8-digit local subscriber number, for all inbound international calls to Chennai landline phones.

Note that while Chennai proper has only one area code, some areas nearby to Chennai do use different areas codes.

8-Digit Chennai Subscriber Numbers

All subscriber numbers for landline phones in Chennai are 8-digits long. They are typically written as a solid string, as in 'xxxxxxxx'.

You need to dial this 8-digit subscriber code, along with the 2-digit area code, for all inbound international calls to Chennai landline phones.

Note that landline subscriber numbers are generally assigned in blocks to specific carriers, so if you are curious, you can generally tell what carrier services any given number.

Here are the starting digits for the leading fixed line carriers:

• BSNL and MTNL numbers start with a '2'
• Reliance Landline numbers start with a '3'
• Bharti Airtel numbers start with a '4'
• Tata Indicom numbers start with a '6'

If your Chennai number is a 8-digit number starting with any of the above, you can be sure it is a landline number and that you need to add ' 44 ' before it for inbound international calling.

Notes

• You may find that some Chennai phone numbers already include the area code (' 44 ') and/or the national direct dial code (' 0 '). For instance, like this: 44 - xxxxxxxx or like this 044 - xxxxxxxx
• In such cases, you obviously already have all 10-digits and should not add the area code a second time.
• Note also that in such cases, you must remove the ' 0 ' from your dialing sequence as this is used only within India and will cause your call to fail.

Dialing Chennai Mobile Phone Numbers

Chennai mobile phone numbers are much simpler than landline numbers - they are always 10-digits long and no area code is required.

To reach a Chennai mobile number, you simply dial the given 10-digit phone number.

Note that all India mobile numbers start with a '9' and have 10-digits - regardless of the carrier. So if you have a 10-digit Chennai phone number that starts with a '9', you can be certain that it is a mobile number.

Beginning in 2009 or possibly 2010, mobile phone numbers may become 11-digits long to accommodate growing demand for more mobile phones. This change is expect to be accomplished by adding an extra '9' to the start of all existing mobile numbers. Read more

Click here for more information on mobile phone numbering in India.

How to Tell the Difference Between a Landline and Mobile Number

You probably have a Chennai landline phone number if you have any of the following:

• An 8-digit number - especially if it starts with a '2', '3', '4', or '6'
• A 10-digit number if it starts with ' 44 '
• An 11-digit number if it starts with ' 044 '

You probably have a Chennai mobile phone number if you have any of the following:

• A 10-digit number that starts with a '9'
• An 11-digit number if it starts with ' 09 '

In either case, if you have an 11-digit number starting with a '0', you need to drop the '0' when making inbound international calls. The '0' is used only for domestic long distance dialing.

Changeover to 11-Digit Mobile Numbers

Beginning in 2009 or possibly 2010, mobile phone numbers are expected to become 11-digits long. This is due to exceptional growth in demand for mobile phones in India.

As of this writing (Jan '09), details of this transition have not yet been finalized or announced - and there appears to be some disagreement among the players as to whether 11-digit numbers are, in fact, necessary. Apparently the need may be negated (or at least delayed) by making some other changes to India's numbering scheme.

However if the plan goes through, preliminary indications are that this change will be accomplished by adding an extra '9' to the start of all existing 10-digit mobile numbers. As a result, after the change all mobile numbers will continue to start with a '9' and many will start with '99'.

While authoritative information on the potential change is scant, you may refer to these sources for additional information.

• Financial Express: Your Cell Number Could Be 11-Digits in Two Years
• DNA India: 11-digit mobile nos in 9 months

We will post additional information as it becomes available. Or you can check directly with the sites shown at India telecom sources.