Surprising story behind India’s first mobile call: Who made it and when?

It has been three decades since mobile phones were introduced in India. The transition was gradual, as the nation relied on landline phones, which were the only means of connecting with people over long distances.

Over one billion people are using mobile phones, making it the dominant medium of communication in today’s world.

But have you ever wondered who made the first mobile call in India? On July 31st, 1995, former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu made the historic call to then Union Telecom Minister Sukh Ram. This marked the beginning of the mobile revolution in the country, paving the way for new communication technologies.

Since then, the use of mobile phones has surged, with over 1.15 billion people now using them in India. This massive transition has made India the second-largest smartphone user in the world, after China.

Reliance Jio brought about a significant change in the communication sector. By offering free data and unlimited calls to users, it forced other telecom operators to lower their rates in order to retain their customer base.