With a smartphone, calling someone is quick and easy, and it doesn’t cost much. But have you ever wondered how mobile networks started, which company was the first to offer them, and who made the first call in India when there were no cellphones and mobile tower.

On July 31, 1995, West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu made the first mobile phone call in India to Union Communications Minister Sukh Ram. This historic call marked the start of mobile telephony in India and was made with Nokia phones. The call used Modi Telstra’s MobileNet service, a joint venture between India’s B.K. Modi Group and Australia’s Telstra. It connected the Writer’s Building in Calcutta (now Kolkata) with Sanchar Bhavan in New Delhi.

The Calling Expenses Were Very High

The call cost ₹8.4 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls, and during busy times, the cost could rise to ₹16.8 per minute. This symbolic call marked the beginning of India’s mobile revolution. Since then, India has become the world’s second-largest telecom market by subscribers.

The first mobile phone call in India was a major milestone, opening the door for mobile phones to become widely used and boosting the growth of the telecom industry.

Market Changed After 2016

Most recharge plans today are data-focused, with only a few emphasizing calling. This shift happened after Jio entered the Indian market in 2016. Before that, people had to spend more on recharge plans that included internet access.

Today, most plans are bundled, offering limited focus on calling and data. They often include features like daily 100 SMS and unlimited voice calling. You pay based on the amount of daily data. The main focus of companies is now on data.