IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Service in India

An IVR answers every call, greets returning callers by name, lets them press a key to get what they need and routes them to the right agent, in Hindi, English or a regional language. See how it works and set up your own IVR number with SMSGatewayHub.

Personalised greetingsMulti-level IVR menusTime-based routingRegional languages

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Quick Answer

IVR (interactive voice response) is an automated phone system that answers incoming calls, plays recorded or text-to-speech prompts and reads the caller's keypad (DTMF) input to share information or route the call to the right department or agent. SMSGatewayHub's IVR runs on virtual and toll-free numbers with personalised greetings, multi-level menus, time-based routing, call recording and CRM integration, backed by a 99.9% uptime SLA and Pay As You Go pricing.

What is IVR and how does an IVR call work?

Every IVR call follows the same path, from the moment the phone rings to the report in your dashboard. Here is what happens at each stage and what you control.

Stage	What happens on the call	What you configure
1. Caller dials your number	The call lands on your IVR number, a virtual business number or a 1800 toll-free number, and is answered instantly, even when every agent is busy.	Number type and which number appears in ads, packaging and your website
2. Greeting	A recorded or text-to-speech welcome plays. If the caller is already in your CRM, the IVR can greet them by name.	Greeting text, voice, language and personalisation rules
3. Menu and keypad input	The caller hears options such as press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, and presses a key (DTMF). Sub-menus narrow the request further.	Multi-level menu tree, prompts and timeouts for each level
4. Self-service or lookup	Simple requests, such as billing information, timings or order status, are answered by the IVR itself without an agent.	Recorded answers and data lookups from your CRM or application
5. Routing	The call is transferred to the right department or agent, the same agent who handled the caller last time (sticky agent), or an agent's mobile after hours.	Department queues, sticky agent, time-based routing and blacklisted numbers
6. Voicemail and fallback	If nobody is available, or it is a holiday, the caller leaves a voicemail so no lead is lost.	Working hours, holiday calendar and voicemail prompts
7. Logging and reports	The call is recorded, its status (connected, not connected or missed) is logged and the data can be pushed to your CRM.	Recording, real-time reports and CRM integration

This page explains IVR as a feature. For the hosted platform, numbers and agent features, see the cloud IVR provider page, and for cost, see IVR pricing.

What do the latest TRAI rules mean for IVR calls?

Callers who dial your IVR are reaching out to you. The rules below apply when your business places outbound IVR or pre-recorded calls.

140 series for promotional calls

Promotional voice calls, including auto-dialled and pre-recorded IVR campaigns, must go out from 140-series numbers by a registered sender and respect customer preferences. Promotional and service content cannot be mixed in one call.

1600 series for BFSI service calls

Banks, NBFCs, insurers and other entities regulated by RBI, SEBI, PFRDA and IRDAI place service and transactional calls from the 1600 series, so customers can trust a genuine call. Messaging for banks & NBFCs

Declare robo-calls in advance

Senders must tell their originating access provider beforehand that they use auto-dialers or robo-calls and for what purpose. Plan outbound IVR campaigns with this declaration in place.

Faster action on complaints

Customers can now report spam calls without first registering a preference, and repeated complaints against a sender lead to quicker action. Use only registered numbers and keep consent records. TRAI regulations

Why SMSGatewayHub

Why choose SMSGatewayHub over other IVR providers?

A good IVR feels personal, never keeps callers in a loop and gives your team the data behind every call. Here is what SMSGatewayHub's IVR gives you.

Personalised greetings

The IVR addresses returning callers by name and uses their call history, purchase history and location to send them to a suitable agent, so they skip menus that do not apply to them.

Regional-language IVR

Build menus in Hindi, English and regional languages with accents native to your callers, and route them to local agents. Pair it with regional-language SMS.

Smart routing

Time-based routing to agents' mobiles after hours, sticky agent for repeat callers, programmable extensions and blacklisting of unwanted numbers.

Recordings, reports and CRM

Every call recorded and logged with its status, caller details, duration and location, then pushed to your CRM through the communications API.

Voice plus messaging

Follow every IVR choice with SMS or WhatsApp, call customers with voice SMS and capture leads with missed calls, all from one account.

Certified and trusted since 2009

ISO 27001, ISO 9001:2015, SOC 2 and VAPT tested, with 10,000+ registered businesses and 24/7 support. Trust Center

Question to ask any IVR provider	SMSGatewayHub
Can the IVR greet my callers by name?	Yes. Returning callers are recognised from your CRM data and greeted personally.
Can I build multi-level menus and change them myself?	Yes. Configure menus, sub-menus and extensions and update greetings from your panel.
What happens to calls after working hours?	Time-based routing sends them to agents' mobiles or to voicemail, so no lead is missed.
Are calls recorded, and can the data reach my CRM?	Yes. Calls are recorded and logged with their status, and the data can be pushed to any CRM.
Which numbers can I use?	Choose virtual business numbers or 1800 toll-free numbers. Toll-free numbers
How is IVR billed?	Pay As You Go, with no hardware cost. See IVR pricing

Need the full hosted contact-centre setup? Compare our cloud IVR platform, or read why default caller IDs get flagged as spam and how a dedicated number fixes it.

IVR use cases by industry

Each card links to a dedicated industry page with more ideas for voice and messaging.

Banks, NBFCs & insurance

Card blocking menus, loan and policy enquiries, complaint registration and recorded calls for audit. Bulk SMS for banks & NBFCs

E-commerce & D2C

Order status by keypad, returns and refunds routing and COD confirmation calls. Bulk SMS for e-commerce

Hospitals & clinics

Department-wise appointment lines, OPD timings on the IVR and after-hours voicemail. Bulk SMS for hospitals

Schools & EdTech

Admission helplines, fee enquiries and counsellor routing by course or language. Bulk SMS for education

Logistics & courier

Shipment status by tracking number, delivery rescheduling and driver hotlines. Bulk SMS for logistics

Travel & hospitality

Booking enquiries, cancellation menus and a sticky agent for repeat guests. Travel & tourism use cases

IVR menu and call-flow examples

Short, clear prompts keep callers moving. Use these flows as a starting point for your own IVR script.

Scenario	What the caller hears	What happens next
Returning customer	"Welcome back, Rahul. Press 1 to talk about your last order, or 2 for the main menu."	Key 1 goes straight to the agent who handled his last call (sticky agent)
Language selection	"For Hindi, press 1. For English, press 2. For Marathi, press 3."	Caller hears the rest of the menu in that language and reaches a local agent
Order status self-service	"Enter your 6-digit order number followed by the hash key."	Status read out from your system; a tracking link follows by SMS
After-hours call	"Our office is closed. Press 1 to reach the duty manager, or stay on the line to leave a message."	Time-based routing to a mobile number, or voicemail logged as a lead
Department routing	"Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Billing, 3 for Technical Support, 0 to repeat."	Sub-menu or agent queue for each department, with the call recorded
Blocked caller	Number is on your blacklist.	Call is not routed to agents, keeping lines free for priority clients

Want callers to reach the IVR for free? Put it on a 1800 toll-free number, or let them give a missed call and receive a callback.

How to start with IVR on SMSGatewayHub

Create your account
Sign up and share your call volume, departments and working hours with our team.
Choose your IVR number
Pick a virtual business number or a toll-free 1800 number to publish on your ads and website.
Script the menu
Write greetings and options for each level, choose languages and record prompts or use text-to-speech.
Set routing rules
Map keys to departments and agents, add working hours, sticky agent, voicemail and blacklisted numbers.
Connect and go live
Push call data to your CRM through the developer API, then watch recordings and reports to refine the menu.

Which type of IVR do you need?

Most businesses start with an inbound menu and add the others as call volume grows.

Type of IVR	How it works	Best for
Inbound IVR	Answers calls to your number and sorts callers with a voice menu.	Helplines, sales lines and support desks
Multi-level IVR	Menus with sub-menus and programmable extensions for detailed sorting.	Businesses with several departments or product lines
Personalised IVR	Recognises the caller from CRM data, greets them by name and predicts why they are calling.	Repeat customers, subscriptions and account holders
Regional-language IVR	Menus in the caller's language with native accents, routed to local agents.	Pan-India brands and tier-2 and tier-3 markets
Outbound IVR	Your system calls customers with a recorded message and captures a key press in reply.	Payment reminders, confirmations and feedback (see voice SMS)
Cloud-hosted IVR	The whole IVR runs online with no PBX hardware and is managed from a browser.	Remote and multi-location teams (see cloud IVR provider)

IVR resource map

Everything related to IVR and voice on SMSGatewayHub, grouped by what you need to do next.

I want to…	Go to
Check prices and estimate cost	IVR pricing · Voice SMS pricing · All pricing
Stay compliant	TRAI regulations · DLT registration · Trust Center
Integrate with my CRM or app	Communications API · Developer API docs · How webhooks work
Add related voice channels	Cloud IVR provider · Toll-free number · Missed call service · Voice SMS
Fix calling problems	Caller ID flagged as spam: fix · Talk to support
Compare with other channels	WhatsApp Business API · Transactional SMS · Automating WhatsApp, SMS, IVR and toll-free

IVR vs cloud IVR vs voice SMS: which do you need?

IVR is the feature: the menu that answers a call, takes a key press and routes the caller. Cloud IVR is how you run it, hosted online with numbers, agents and analytics and no office PBX. If customers call you and you want every call answered and sorted, you need an IVR, and on SMSGatewayHub it is delivered as cloud IVR.

If you need to call customers instead, with reminders, announcements or confirmations, choose voice SMS (bulk voice calls), which can also capture a key press. Add a toll-free number when callers should not pay for the call. For more on choosing numbers, read the business toll-free numbers overview, or explore voice call use cases.

Related Services & Guides

Cloud IVR Provider →

Hosted IVR with numbers, agents and analytics.

IVR Pricing →

Pay As You Go plans for IVR.

Toll-Free Number →

1800 numbers your callers dial for free.

Voice SMS →

Recorded voice calls to many customers at once.

Missed Call Service →

Capture leads with a missed call.

Voice Call Use Cases →

Ideas for voice across industries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IVR?

IVR (interactive voice response) is an automated phone system that answers calls, plays recorded or text-to-speech prompts and responds to the caller's keypad input. It shares information or routes the caller to the right department or agent without a receptionist. SMSGatewayHub provides IVR on virtual and toll-free numbers for Indian businesses.

How does an IVR system work?

A caller dials your IVR number and hears a greeting and a menu, such as press 1 for Sales or 2 for Support. The key press (DTMF) tells the system what the caller wants, and it either answers directly or transfers the call to the right agent. Every call can be recorded and logged for reports.

What is the difference between IVR and cloud IVR?

IVR is the voice menu and routing feature itself. Cloud IVR is IVR hosted on the internet, so you need no PBX hardware and manage menus, numbers and agents from a browser. SMSGatewayHub delivers IVR as a cloud service, with details on its cloud IVR provider page.

Can an IVR greet callers by name and speak regional languages?

Yes. SMSGatewayHub's personalised IVR recognises returning callers from your CRM data, greets them by name and routes them based on their history. Menus can be built in Hindi, English and regional languages and routed to local agents.

What happens to IVR calls outside working hours?

With time-based routing, calls after hours go to agents' mobile numbers or to voicemail. Messages left on voicemail are recorded and logged, so you never miss a lead on holidays or at night.

Which TRAI rules apply to IVR calls?

Rules mainly apply to outbound calls your business places. Promotional auto-dialled or pre-recorded calls must use 140-series numbers from a registered sender, BFSI entities regulated by RBI, SEBI, PFRDA and IRDAI use the 1600 series for service calls, and robo-call use must be declared to the access provider in advance. SMSGatewayHub helps you plan outbound IVR campaigns within these rules.

How much does IVR cost with SMSGatewayHub?

SMSGatewayHub uses Pay As You Go pricing for IVR, based on your numbers, channels, minutes and features, with no hardware cost. See https://www.smsgatewayhub.com/ivr-pricing or talk to sales on 1800 102 1822 for a quote.

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