Below is a list of the major landline and mobile telephone companies in India. Most of these companies provide landline and/or mobile telephone services in the Kolkata / Calcutta area.
Follow company name links for additional information on company websites. If you are aware of changes to this list, please leave a comment below.
For more information about India's telecommunications industry, see links below in Other India Telephone Resources.
Data below are current as of Sep 08.
If you are aware of changes to the company information below, please leave a comment.
The following telephone companies are the largest phone companies in India. Most, if not all, provide landline phone service in the Kolkata / Calcutta area. In some cases, landline home phones are provided via wireless local loop (WLL) rather than normal fixed line service. Please check their websites for coverage and service details.
- Bharti Airtel - Bharti Airtel is an integrated carrier with growing presence across all of India's 23 telecom circles. The company provides landline and mobile services in 94 cities, including Kolkata, and has the largest mobile subscriber base.
- BSNL Calcutta Telephones - Government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is the largest and oldest telephone operator in India. It provides both landline and mobile phone service nationwide. Until the late 1990s, it had a monopoly on telecom services and is still the largest phone company in the country. BSNL corporate home page
- Infotel Connect - HFCL Infotel Connect is a smaller telephone company started in 2000. Currently, they serve only Punjab - they do not currently provide service in Kolkata. In Punjab, the company provides landline, mobile, and internet services.
- Reliance Communications - Reliance Communications has grown rapidly throughout India since launching in 2002. The company provides both landline and mobile services in Kolkata.
- Tata Indicom - Tata Indicom provides both landline and mobile services in Kolkata. The company has grown rapidly since launching in 1996 and especially since the acquisition of Hughes Telecom in 2002.
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The following companies are the largest mobile phone providers in India. Most, if not all, provide GSM or CDMA mobile phone service in the Kolkata / Calcutta area. Please check their websites for coverage and service details.
- Aircel (GSM) - Aircel is a growing mobile provider which currently provides service in several telecom circles, including Kolkata. As of mid-2008, the company had also obtained rights to operate in additional circles, including Delhi (Metro), Mumbai (Metro), Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra & Goa, Rajasthan, Punjab, UP (West) and UP (East).
- Bharti Airtel (GSM) - Bharti Airtel has become India's largest mobile telephone company and has the only truly national network. It provides services in all of India's 23 telecom circles. Airtel provides GSM mobile services.
- BPL Mobile (GSM) - BPL Mobile is a smaller mobile carrier that currently provides service only in Mumbai (Metro) circle. It does not currently serve Kolkata.
- BSNL Calcutta Telephones (GSM) - Government-owned BSNL is India's largest phone company. It provides GSM mobile services in Kolkata, West Bengal, and throughout much of India under the CellOne and Excel brand names.
- IDEA Cellular (GSM) - IDEA Cellular, traded on the Bombay Exchange, operates GSM mobile networks across India. It has licenses to operate in all 22 circles, but currently operates in just 12 circles: Andhra Pradesh, Delhi (inclusive of NCR), Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (West), and Uttar Pradesh (East). IDEA does not offer service in Kolkata currently.
- Reliance Communications (CDMA) - Reliance Mobile operates a CDMA network in West Bengal and elsewhere in India. The company's mobile operations have grown rapidly throughout India since launching in 2002.
- Spice Communications (GSM) - Spice India is a smaller mobile player with operations so far only in Karnataka and Punjab. The company does not serve Kolkata. The company serves about 3 Million customers over a GSM network. Spice, which is listed on the Bombay exchange, is a joint venture between Modi Wellvest and Telekom Malaysia.
- Tata Indicom (CDMA) - Tata Indicom provides CDMA mobile services in Kolkata and 1,000 other cities across India. The company has grown rapidly throughout India since launching in 1996 and especially since the acquisition of Hughes Telecom in 2002.
- Vodafone India (GSM) - Vodafone India provides GSM mobile services in Kolkata and elsewhere. The company acquired Hutchinson Telecom in 2007 to accelerate growth. In the same year, it also acquired additional GSM mobile licenses.
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Other Resources
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