TL;DR
Business VoIP in India comes as cloud telephony (Zoho Voice from ₹699 per user a month, Acefone ₹1,599, CallHippo ₹1,900, MyOperator ₹5,000 for 10 users), operator platforms (Tata Tele Smartflo from ₹950 per licence) or voice APIs (Plivo ₹0.38 a minute), before GST. Internet calls to Indian numbers are legal when they run through a licensed operator, on numbers issued after KYC.
The main VoIP providers in India for businesses are Tata Tele Business Services (Smartflo Lite from ₹950 per licence a month), Airtel IQ Business Connect (no rate card; its FAQ gives an indicative ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per user), Zoho Voice (₹699 per user), Acefone (₹1,599 per user, 6-seat minimum), CallHippo (₹1,900 per user), Knowlarity, Exotel, MyOperator (₹5,000 a month for 10 users) and Plivo (₹0.38 a minute), all before GST.
VoIP calls to Indian phone numbers are legal when they run through a licensed telecom operator, on numbers issued after KYC. What an internet provider alone can't do is connect your internet calls to Indian mobiles and landlines. If your team only needs one shared number on their mobiles, a business number app may do the job without a phone system.
Is VoIP legal in India?
Yes, in the forms a business actually buys. Here is what each party may do under DoT's rules.
| Who | What they may do | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Internet service provider | Computer-to-computer calls; calls to phones outside India | DoT internet service authorisation, 2026 |
| Telecom operator with access authorisation | Internet telephony, including calls to Indian phones | DoT access authorisation, 2026 |
| Virtual network operator with access authorisation | Internet telephony | DoT VNO authorisation, 2026 |
| Cloud telephony company | Numbers and IVR from licensed operators, after KYC | DoT KYC for business connections |
| Call centre (OSP) | Hosted EPABX from operators; remote agents on broadband | DoT OSP guidelines, 2021 |
What this means in plain terms:
- Internet providers can't connect you to Indian phones. Under the Telecommunications (Authorisation for provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026, an internet service authorisation covers internet telephony only "computer to computer, within or outside India" and from India to phone users "outside India" (DoT).
- Operators can, over any internet connection. Access service authorisation includes "Internet telephony service" (DoT). TRAI recommended in 2017 that operators offer it to subscribers "using Internet of other Access service providers", on mobile-series numbers (TRAI). Tata Tele's Smart Internet Telephony works this way: a 10-digit mobile-series number that runs on any operator's internet.
- Cloud telephony is the everyday form of business VoIP. Virtual numbers, IVR and call-centre software run on numbers from licensed operators, and DoT requires KYC of each end user on a business connection before activation (PIB).
- Call centres can run on the internet too. Under DoT's 2021 guidelines, call centres (OSPs) need no registration, "can also take EPABX services from the TSPs", and may connect remote agents "using any technology including broadband". The OSP is responsible for any toll bypass (DoT OSP guidelines).
- What you dial is regulated separately. Promotional calls must come from a registered 140-series number (TRAI). Under TRAI's amendment notified on 18 September 2026, auto-dialled and artificial-voice calls are "A2P calls" that must be declared to your operator in advance; that part applies 60 days after the amendment is published in the Gazette (TRAI).
Which kind of VoIP do you need?
- A team that needs an IVR menu, queues and recordings: cloud telephony (a hosted PBX).
- Agents on laptops with headsets: a contact-centre plan with a softphone.
- Staff who need their own mobile-series number over any internet: operator internet telephony.
- You already own an IP-PBX: a SIP trunk.
- You are building calling into your own app: a voice API.
- 2 to 10 people sharing one number on their mobiles: you may not need VoIP at all; see business number apps below.
VoIP providers in India, with prices
| Provider | Entry price, before GST | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Tele Smartflo Lite | ₹950 per licence a month + ₹5,000 once | 5-level IVR, unlimited India calls (fair use) | Operator-run IVR |
| Airtel IQ Business Connect | Indicative ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per user (FAQ) | Vonage-powered VoIP, IVR, recording | Airtel-centric companies |
| Zoho Voice Basic | ₹699 per user, billed yearly | Mumbai landline, 1,000 free outgoing minutes | Zoho CRM users |
| Acefone Professional | ₹1,599 per user, 6-seat minimum | Unlimited India calls, 1 DID, APIs | Contact centres |
| CallHippo Starter | ₹1,900 per user, billed yearly | Unlimited minutes; recording from ₹3,000 | Numbers in several countries |
| Exotel Dabbler | ₹9,999 for 5 months, 3 agents | Multi-level IVR, auto dialer, voice APIs | Prepaid, usage-based calling |
| MyOperator Sedan | ₹5,000 a month for 10 users, yearly | IVR, recording, WhatsApp | 5 to 10 person teams |
| Plivo | ₹200 a number + ₹0.38 a minute | Voice API, 30-second pulse | Developers |
How we compared: prices and features from each provider's official page, checked in September 2026. Prices exclude 18% GST unless stated.
Tata Tele Business Services (Smartflo and Smart Internet Telephony)
Tata Tele is a telecom operator, so it sells every layer. Smartflo Lite costs ₹950 per licence a month plus ₹5,000 one-time, with a 3-month minimum, one standard DID per agent, a 5-level IVR and unlimited calling within India under a pooled fair-use limit of 5,000 minutes per user a month.
Smartflo ITS, its softphone plan, costs ₹1,000 per licence plus ₹10,000 one-time. Its Smart Internet Telephony FAQ says the service uses a 10-digit mobile number series, works on any operator's internet and needs no OSP compliance. It also warns of possible connectivity issues with BSNL and emergency numbers, and it allows no international roaming.
Airtel IQ Business Connect
Airtel describes Business Connect as a "multichannel VoIP communication platform" powered by Vonage, with IVR, recording and local or toll-free numbers. There's no rate card. Its FAQ gives only an indicative figure: businesses pay "starting around ₹ 1,500-2,500 per user" a month.
Zoho Voice
Zoho Voice Basic costs ₹699 per user a month billed yearly (₹799 monthly) and includes a free Mumbai landline number and 1,000 free outgoing minutes per licence. For up to 10 users on one plan, Business Phone Team costs ₹999 a month billed yearly. Taxes are extra, and there's a 15-day free trial.
Calls are metered in credits (1 credit is ₹1) and every call rounds up to a full minute. Incoming calls cost 0.4 credit a minute. Outgoing calls beyond the free minutes cost 0.8 credit from a landline number (a bridge call), or 0.4 from a Zoho mobile number, which rents for 799 credits a month.
Acefone and Knowlarity (contact-centre VoIP)
Acefone Professional costs ₹1,599 per user a month with a 6-seat minimum (₹9,594 a month), unlimited calling within India, one standard DID and APIs with webhooks. Extra DIDs cost ₹100 a month and a mobile caller ID ₹500.
Knowlarity's WebRTC softphone is priced for 10 agents: ₹1,499 per agent a month with unlimited incoming calls (outgoing at 40 paise a minute), or ₹1,999 with unlimited outgoing too. That is ₹14,990 or ₹19,990 a month for the 10 (our calculation), on a contract of at least a year paid quarterly in advance.
CallHippo, Exotel and MyOperator (cloud telephony)
CallHippo's India plans run from ₹1,900 to ₹3,800 per user a month on yearly billing; see our CallHippo pricing and alternatives for the fine print. Exotel sells prepaid packs from ₹9,999 for 5 months (₹4,999 rental plus 5,000 call credits, 3 agents) with voice APIs and an auto dialer. MyOperator's Sedan costs ₹5,000 a month for 10 users, billed yearly, with IVR, recording and WhatsApp.
Plivo (voice API)
Plivo charges ₹200 a month per Indian number and ₹0.38 a minute for calls in either direction, billed in 30-second pulses, with browser (WebRTC) calls at ₹0.25 a minute and free recording storage for 90 days. You build the calling app yourself.
SIP trunks: only if you run your own PBX
A SIP trunk connects a phone system you own to an operator. Tata Tele's SIP trunk plans start at a ₹250 monthly rental with ₹250 of local and STD calls included, charged at ₹0.80 a minute to local mobiles. Its trunks scale from 20 to 1,500 channels and number blocks start at 100 DIDs, so this route suits offices with an IT team and an existing IP-PBX, not a 5-person business.
Only need a shared number? Business number apps
If 2 to 10 people just need one business number on the phones they already carry, an app can replace a phone system. Heyo Phone costs ₹300 a month for 2 users or ₹600 for 5 with an IVR, and Superfone ₹599 a month for 3 users, both plus GST.
TalkEasy by GrowEasy runs its business number in an Android app alongside each person's SIM. Pro costs ₹999 a month plus GST for unlimited users, with 3 hours of talktime a day (then ₹49 an hour), call recording and history, an analytics dashboard and AI Call Assist (pricing). For a contact centre with queues and supervisors, choose a VoIP plan from the table above instead.
Before you sign: a VoIP checklist
- Number type. Ask whether you get a 10-digit mobile-series number or a landline-series DID. The WhatsApp Business app accepts mobile and landline numbers but not VoIP numbers (WhatsApp).
- KYC documents. Keep your GST certificate or registration proof, PAN, address proof, and the authorised signatory's ID with an authorisation letter ready.
- Your number if you leave. Mobile numbers port only between licensed operators under TRAI's portability rules. MyOperator, for one, says its virtual numbers can't be ported out, so ask before you print a number everywhere.
- Internet at each desk. Softphones and internet telephony need steady bandwidth for every user. Test calls from your slowest location during the trial.
- Recording retention. Acefone and Tata Smartflo Lite keep recordings 3 months on entry plans. Longer storage usually costs extra.
- Outbound use. If the team will make sales calls, read our guide to outbound calling costs and rules first.
For a month-by-month budget with worked bills, see cloud telephony pricing in India. If you mainly need a number rather than a phone system, compare the best virtual number providers in India or start with our virtual number guide.
One business number for the whole team, on the phones they already carry. TalkEasy by GrowEasy Pro costs ₹999 a month plus GST for unlimited users. See how the TalkEasy business number works.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026.
