What's the cheapest way to call Pakistan from the UK for business?

WhatsApp/IMO voice over data is free. A separate VoIP service (Vonage, Zoom Phone, Lycamobile Talk) typically charges 1-3p/minute to Pakistani landlines — cheaper than most mobile international bolt-ons. For heavy mobile-to-mobile calling, bolt-ons can work out better.

Can I use my UK mobile in India or Pakistan?

Yes, but roaming rates are expensive — often £5-10/minute for calls. Recommended: buy a local SIM on arrival or a travel eSIM before leaving, and keep your UK SIM on airplane mode except for bank 2FA texts.

Is India on the inclusive EU roaming list?

No. None of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal are on the 83-destination inclusive roaming list. Standard international roaming rates apply when travelling to these countries on a UK business mobile.

Business Mobile for South Asian UK Businesses (2026): India, Pakistan, Bangladesh Calling

Name: Compare The Networks
Address: Unit 3, Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury, SY1 3FE, GB
Telephone: +441743598025
Price range: Free comparison service
Rating: 4.3

Last updated: April 2026

If you run a UK business with regular calls to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal — family, staff, suppliers, satellite offices, customers — this is the honest version of what your mobile options look like in 2026.

Up front: none of these countries are on any UK mainstream network's standard inclusive international list. CTN's 39-country list (EEA + USA + Canada) doesn't include any of them. Nor does EE's, Vodafone's, O2's or Three's typical inclusive business bundle. They're always an add-on, a bolt-on, or a per-minute rate.

Here's how to set it up sensibly.

The three realistic options

Option 1: WhatsApp / IMO / Viber voice over data

What most South Asian UK businesses actually use for informal communication. Free on both ends, works well over 4G/5G, no per-minute cost. The quality is good enough for most business and family conversation.

Downside: requires both parties to be on the same app, have data, and be happy with app-based calling. Clients, banks, and older family contacts often prefer traditional phone calls.

Option 2: International add-on bolt-on on your business mobile

Every UK business mobile provider offers international add-ons. Typical pricing:

£5-10/month for bundle of minutes to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh
£15-25/month for unlimited or expanded international packs
Usually per-minute rates of 2-8p to Asian landlines, 8-20p to mobiles, without a bolt-on

CTN can quote these alongside a standard business tariff — typically a £5-10 uplift gets you a meaningful bundle of South Asia minutes on top of the 39-country inclusive calls.

Option 3: Separate international VoIP account

Services like Vonage, Zoom Phone, Rebtel, or Lycamobile deliver cheap per-minute South Asia calls (often 1-3p/min) that undercut mobile international rates significantly. Works from a computer, desk phone, or app.

Best for: office-based staff making frequent scheduled calls to South Asia. Less good for: calls on the move or quick callbacks.

Many South Asian UK businesses use a combination — CTN business mobile for UK and EU coverage, WhatsApp for informal South Asia contact, and a cheap VoIP account for the formal/longer calls.

Who this suits

UK Indian-owned businesses

Restaurants, corner shops, logistics, property, IT services, wholesale importers, gold and jewellery retailers. Major UK clusters: Leicester (Gujarati), Wembley/Harrow/Southall (Punjabi), Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Glasgow.

Pakistani-owned UK businesses

Restaurants, taxi and minicab, retail, import/export, property management. Clusters: Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Luton, Slough, East London.

Bangladeshi-owned UK businesses

Restaurant sector particularly strong — Bengali restaurants form a huge slice of the UK "Indian" curry house industry. Tower Hamlets (Brick Lane), East London, Luton, Birmingham.

UK businesses with offshore development / BPO in South Asia

IT services, accounting, customer support — many UK SMEs outsource development or back-office to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Karachi, Dhaka. Daily team calls into tariff-lifting territory.

UK importers of South Asian goods

Textiles, food, jewellery, spices, pharmaceuticals. Supplier visits a few times a year + regular calls for orders and logistics.

Pricing — what to budget

For a UK business with regular India/Pakistan/Bangladesh calling on a CTN business mobile:

Pattern	Tariff	Add-on	Approx total per user per month
Light personal calls (WhatsApp mostly, occasional landline)	25GB / 200 int mins	None	~£22-26
Moderate business calling (20-30 mins/day South Asia)	50GB / 500 int mins	£8-12 South Asia bolt-on	~£32-38
Heavy business calling (outsourced team, daily calls)	100GB / unlimited int mins	£15-25 wider international	~£42-55
Office-based with desk phones	25GB tariff	Separate VoIP for desk calling	Mobile ~£22 + VoIP ~£5 per seat

Actual bolt-on cost varies by which country mix you need. Indian landlines are cheaper than mobiles on most tariffs; Pakistani mobiles tend to be the priciest.

What about roaming in South Asia?

None of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal are on the 83-destination inclusive roaming list.

If you or your staff travel to South Asia, your UK mobile will roam but at standard international roaming rates — which are expensive. Common practical answers:

Use airplane mode + WiFi at hotels and cafés while abroad; WhatsApp for contact home
Buy a local SIM on arrival — cheap in India/Pakistan (£5-15 for a month's prepaid with generous data)
Buy a travel eSIM before you leave — services like Airalo, Holafly, NomadSIM sell regional South Asia eSIMs that slot into any eSIM-capable phone
Dual-SIM your phone — keep UK SIM live for incoming SMS (bank 2FAs, etc.) while using local SIM for outbound

CTN's international bundle won't help in South Asia the way it does in the EU. Being straight about that matters.

Calling UK diaspora communities in the other direction

If your business serves the UK South Asian community and takes a lot of calls from the UK (not to South Asia) — customers dialling a London landline number, say — this is a UK-domestic setup. Standard UK business mobile allowances cover this fine; no international component needed. Different product, different conversation.

FAQs

Are calls to India included in CTN business mobile?

No. India isn't on the 39-country inclusive call list. India calls are either (1) pay-per-minute at standard international rates, or (2) covered by an international add-on bolt-on (typically £5-10/month for a bundle of India minutes). We'll quote the right bolt-on alongside your base tariff.

What about calls to Pakistan?

Same pattern — not on the standard inclusive list, but add-ons exist. Pakistani mobile rates tend to be higher than landline rates on most international bolt-ons; heavy Pakistani mobile callers often find VoIP services more cost-effective.

Can I use my CTN mobile when visiting India / Pakistan?

Your phone will work but standard international roaming charges apply (these are expensive — often £5-10/minute for calls, £5-20/MB for data). We strongly recommend buying a local SIM or travel eSIM for the trip and keeping your UK SIM on airplane mode except for essential 2FA texts.

Is there a cheaper way to call South Asia than mobile international?

Yes, usually. WhatsApp/IMO/Viber voice over data is free. A cheap VoIP service (Vonage, Zoom Phone, Lycamobile's Talk Bundle) often charges 1-3p/min to South Asia landlines — cheaper than any mobile international bolt-on. We can help you set up a sensible mix of products.

Does CTN offer SIM cards specifically for the South Asian community?

We don't do Lyca/Lebara-style community-targeted SIMs. We do business mobile tariffs that work well for South Asian-owned UK businesses who need reliable UK coverage plus sensibly-priced South Asia calling via add-ons. Different product for a different need.

Getting a quote

Call 01743 598025 or request a quote. Be specific about South Asia calling volume (rough mins/month, which countries) and we'll quote a sensible combination of base tariff + add-on or alternative.