For Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) managing finances back home, the Indian mobile number remains a critical link – but keeping it active and functional from overseas requires planning. For most NRIs, the importance of an Indian mobile
number becomes apparent only at the worst possible moment: when an OTP fails to arrive during a time-sensitive banking transaction. Indian financial systems – from banks and investment platforms to tax portals and UPI – are built around
domestic mobile numbers. For NRIs managing accounts, filing taxes, or accessing services like DigiLocker, EPFO, and the Income Tax portal remotely, that ten-digit number is often the single thread holding everything together.
Why It Still Matters
India’s banking and financial infrastructure continues to rely heavily on SMS-based One-Time Passwords for transaction authentication, login verification, and KYC updates. According to Abhishek Agarwal, Chief of Staff at SBNRI, the
primary advantage of retaining an Indian number is seamless OTP delivery across banking, investment, and UPI platforms, since most Indian systems are engineered around domestic numbers. Government portals for tax filing, provident fund
access, and digital document storage similarly depend on Indian mobile numbers for verification. For NRIs, this means that losing access to an Indian number can effectively lock them out of essential financial services.
Using International Numbers
Banks have gradually begun accommodating overseas mobile numbers, particularly for NRI-specific accounts. According to Ankur Choudhary, Co-Founder and CEO of Belong, most banks now allow NRE and NRO account holders to register an
international mobile number and receive OTPs on it. From a banking standpoint, it is possible to operate without an Indian number for these account types. However, the support is not uniform across all banking products. Regular
resident Indian accounts typically do not accept international numbers for OTP delivery. Some banks offer email-based OTP alternatives, but this option tends to be inconsistent – it may function for login authentication but not always for transaction approvals. Prashanth George Tharakan, Head of NR Branch Banking at
South Indian Bank, notes that if a customer can receive SMS alerts and OTPs on an Indian number, they can continue using it, though delivery reliability depends on the telecom service provider and the country of residence.
Keeping the SIM Active
One of the most common risks NRIs face is SIM deactivation due to inactivity. Indian telecom operators may permanently disconnect numbers that remain unused beyond a specified grace period. Since many NRIs use their Indian SIM only
occasionally – primarily for OTPs – the risk of losing the number altogether is significant. Losing a number tied to bank accounts, investment platforms, and tax portals can create serious access problems that are difficult to resolve from abroad.To prevent this, NRIs
are advised to activate international roaming on their Indian SIM and maintain periodic recharges. Several telecom providers, including Airtel and Jio, now offer prepaid plans with 365- day validity designed specifically for users who
need to keep a number active without monthly renewals. These plans allow NRIs to retain their number purely for OTP and verification purposes at minimal cost.
Agarwal also notes a practical consideration regarding SIM format: retaining a physical SIM rather than relying solely on an eSIM can be important, because transferring an eSIM to a new device – in the event of loss or upgrade – can be a cumbersome process.
Common OTP Problems
Despite improvements in telecom infrastructure, OTP-related disruptions remain one of the most frequently reported frustrations among NRIs. The most common issues include delayed OTP delivery due to international SMS routing, complete
non-delivery of OTPs, SIM deactivation without adequate warning, and blocking of messages from Indian banking short codes by international carriers.
These failures can disrupt critical financial activities, including large fund transfers, investment redemptions, and tax filings. According to Agarwal, international carriers sometimes block SMS sent from Indian short codes – a
problem that ranks among the top complaints from NRIs dealing with Indian banks remotely. High international roaming costs add a further layer of inconvenience, particularly for those who keep roaming active year-round solely for occasional OTP use.
Practical Solutions
Financial technology professionals recommend a layered approach to authentication rather than dependence on a single method. The most reliable setup, according to Agarwal, combines app-based authentication as the primary
method with a registered international number as a backup. Appbased systems allow transaction approvals through push notifications, biometric verification, or device-based authentication, bypassing SMS routing issues entirely.
Banks are also moving toward greater flexibility in number management. South Indian Bank, for example, allows NRIs to register their Indian number as an alternative contact and switch between Indian and international numbers
digitally through its SIB Mirror+ application. This kind of dual-number setup – where the international number serves daily banking needs and the Indian number remains on file for specific verifications – is emerging as the most practical configuration for NRIs.
A Necessary Checklist
For NRIs planning a move abroad or already settled overseas, a few preparatory steps can prevent significant inconvenience. Registering both an Indian and an international number with all banks and financial institutions, activating a
long-validity recharge plan on the Indian SIM, enabling appbased authentication wherever available, and keeping a physical SIM as a backup are measures that collectively reduce the risk of being locked out of essential services. The
Indian mobile number may seem like a minor detail in the larger process of relocating abroad, but for anyone with active financial ties to India, it remains one of the most important connections to maintain.
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