<P> In 1880 , two telephone companies namely The Oriental Telephone Company Ltd. and The Anglo - Indian Telephone Company Ltd. approached the Government of India to establish telephone exchange in India . The permission was refused on the grounds that the establishment of telephones was a Government monopoly and that the Government itself would undertake the work . In 1881 , the Government later reversed its earlier decision and a licence was granted to the Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England for opening telephone exchanges at Calcutta , Bombay , Madras and Ahmedabad and the first formal telephone service was established in the country . On 28 January 1882 , Major E. Baring , Member of the Governor General of India 's Council declared open the Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta , Bombay and Madras . The exchange in Calcutta named the `` Central Exchange '' had a total of 93 subscribers in its early stage . Later that year , Bombay also witnessed the opening of a telephone exchange . </P>
<P> In 1880 , two telephone companies namely The Oriental Telephone Company Ltd. and The Anglo - Indian Telephone Company Ltd. approached the Government of India to establish telephone exchange in India . The permission was refused on the grounds that the establishment of telephones was a Government monopoly and that the Government itself would undertake the work . In 1881 , the Government later reversed its earlier decision and a licence was granted to the Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England for opening telephone exchanges at Calcutta , Bombay , Madras and Ahmedabad and the first formal telephone service was established in the country . On 28 January 1882 , Major E. Baring , Member of the Governor General of India 's Council declared open the Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta , Bombay and Madras . The exchange in Calcutta named the `` Central Exchange '' had a total of 93 subscribers in its early stage . Later that year , Bombay also witnessed the opening of a telephone exchange . </P>
when was the first telephone service launched in india
when was the first telephone service launched in india
28 January 1882
28 January 1882