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How to forward business calls to an AI receptionist in India

You keep your business number and switch on conditional call forwarding, so calls go to the AI receptionist only when your line is busy, unanswered or unreachable. On a mobile, do it in the phone’s call settings or your operator’s app: the old USSD codes such as *401# were switched off on 15 April 2024. Landlines and office phone systems have their own steps, all below. For the bigger picture, see the AI receptionist in India guide.

By Vocora team · Published 7 October 2026 · Steps checked against operator help pages on 7 October 2026

Which forwarding type should you use?

Operators offer four kinds of call forwarding. Jio and Airtel describe the same four on their help pages:

Type	What it does	When a business uses it
Busy	Forwards when you are already on a call	Always: the second caller reaches the AI instead of a busy tone
No answer	Forwards after the phone rings without being picked up	Always: staff get first chance, the AI catches the rest
Not reachable	Forwards when the phone is off or out of coverage	Always: covers dead batteries and basements
Unconditional	Forwards every call without ringing your phone	After hours, holidays, or when the AI is the front desk

Our recommendation for most businesses: switch on busy, no answer and not reachable together, and leave unconditional off during working hours. Vi documents a way to set how long the phone rings before a no-answer forward kicks in; a shorter delay means fewer callers give up.

What changed on 15 April 2024?

In an order dated 28 March 2024, the Department of Telecommunications told all operators to discontinue USSD-based call forwarding (“most commonly as *401# services for unconditional call forwarding”) from 15 April 2024, “till further notice”, because it was being misused. Customers who had set forwarding that way were to be asked to reactivate it through other methods, so that forwarding could not be switched on without their knowledge.

In practice that means:

Use the handset menu or the operator app. Both Jio and Airtel point customers to these.
GSM codes are a separate thing. The standard codes such as **61*number# still appear on Airtel’s help page (updated May 2026) and Vi’s (December 2025). If one returns an error on your connection, fall back to the settings menu.
Never dial a forwarding code someone sends you. A code that diverts your calls can also divert verification calls meant for you. Check what is active with the status codes below if you are unsure.

Before you start

Get the destination number from your AI receptionist provider. It is usually a 10-digit mobile or landline number.
Check the destination is allowed. Jio says its forwarding works to mobile and landline numbers except BSNL numbers, your own Jio number and international numbers.
Check your plan. Jio says forwarding is free but needs an active plan. How forwarded calls are billed varies by operator and plan.
Pick a quiet hour and have a second phone ready for test calls.

Jio mobile

Phone settings (Android): Jio’s help page gives the path as Settings > Call > Advanced settings > Call forwarding; menus differ by handset. Set “When busy”, “When unanswered” and “When unreachable” to the AI receptionist’s number.
MyJio app: Profile > Mobile Settings > Service Settings > Call Forwarding, choose Voice, pick the forwarding type, complete SIM verification and enter the 10-digit number. TelecomTalk reports that the app asks you to switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data before it will change forwarding.
iPhone: Jio notes that iPhone settings support only unconditional forwarding. Use the MyJio app for busy or no-answer forwarding.

Sources: How can I activate call forwarding on the MyJio app?, What are the different types of call forwarding?, Jio now lets users manage call forwarding via MyJio app (mobile data required).

Airtel mobile

Airtel Thanks app: Airtel describes setting call diversion from the app’s services or call settings section, choosing the diversion type and entering the destination number.
Phone settings: the same Call forwarding menu as above.
Codes Airtel lists: **67*number# (busy), **61*number# (no answer), **62*number# (unreachable) and **21*number# (all calls). Cancel with ##67#, ##61#, ##62# or ##21#.

Sources: What is call forwarding in Airtel? (updated 22 May 2026), Tips to divert calls in Airtel (Airtel Thanks app).

Vi (Vodafone Idea) mobile

Phone settings: Vi’s guide gives the Android path as Phone app > Settings > Call settings > Calling accounts > your SIM > Call forwarding.
Codes Vi lists: busy *67*number#, no answer *61*number#, unreachable *62*number#, all calls *21*number#. Vi’s voicemail page uses the double-star form (**61*number#) and documents a variant that sets the ring delay.
Check status: *#67#, *#61#, *#62#, *#21#. Switch everything off: ##002#.

Sources: How to use call forwarding codes to activate and deactivate call forwarding (3 December 2025), Voice Mail Service (conditional forwarding codes and ring delay).

BSNL mobile

BSNL lists call forwarding among the supplementary services on its mobile connections. Use the handset’s Call forwarding menu as above. If a setting or code fails, BSNL’s FAQ points customers to its 24/7 helpline, 1800-180-1503, including for problems with mobile codes. Remember that if the AI receptionist’s number is a BSNL number, Jio customers cannot forward to it.

Sources: Mobile prepaid FAQ (supplementary services and helpline), How can I activate call forwarding on the MyJio app?.

Office landlines

BSNL landline: Calcutta Telephones lists dialling 114 followed by the destination number to forward, and 115 to cancel, each confirmed by an acceptance tone. Codes can vary by exchange, so confirm with your local BSNL office if it doesn’t work.
JioFiberVoice (JioFiber / JioHome landline): Jio lists *401* (all calls), *403* (no reply), *405* (busy) and *409* (not reachable), with *402, *404, *406 and *410 to cancel and *413 to cancel all. These are landline feature codes, not the mobile USSD service that DoT suspended.
Airtel Xstream Fiber and other fixed lines: check the operator app or ask customer care for the forwarding procedure on your line.

Sources: Phone Plus services: call transfer (call forward), Can I activate Call Forwarding on my JioFiberVoice number?.

PBX, IVR and cloud telephony

If your number runs through an EPABX, an IVR, a virtual number or a SIP or PRI trunk, you don’t use handset forwarding at all. The AI receptionist becomes a step in the call flow, configured by whoever manages your phone system. Common patterns:

Overflow: ring the front desk or hunt group first; if nobody answers within a set time, route to the AI.
After hours: a time-based rule sends all calls to the AI outside working hours.
IVR option: “Press 1 to book an appointment” goes to the AI; other options go to departments.
Front door: the AI answers every call and transfers to extensions when the caller needs a person.

Ask your telephony provider three questions before you start:

Does the caller’s own number reach the AI, so callbacks and WhatsApp confirmations go to the right person?
How many calls can be forwarded at the same time on your plan?
Can the AI transfer a call back to an extension or mobile, and does it pass a summary?

How to test your setup

Call your business number from another phone and let it ring: does the AI pick up?
Call while the line is busy on another call.
Switch the business phone off or to flight mode and call again.
Check the AI received the caller’s number (look at the call log or CRM note).
Ask for a person and confirm the transfer reaches someone.
Dial the status codes (or open the settings menu) and write down what is active.

Once calls are flowing, the AI’s greeting and handoff rules matter more than the plumbing. Our call scripts and the missed-call revenue calculator are good next steps; workshops can also read AI receptionist for car service centres. Forwarding works the same way for a human virtual receptionist service, and for field teams such as home services whose technicians cannot answer on site.

Vocora on your existing number

Vocora’s Voice AI sits behind the number you already publish, using the forwarding method that fits your line. We give you the destination number, stay on the phone while you set it up, and run the test calls with you.

Answering inbound calls also reduces outbound chasing, one of the patterns behind business numbers being flagged as spam.

Book a free demo Contact us · +91 98041 82483

FAQ

Which call forwarding type should a business use for an AI receptionist?

Most businesses forward only when the line is busy, unanswered or unreachable, so staff still pick up first and the AI catches the overflow. Unconditional forwarding (every call) is useful after hours or on holidays.

Why does *401# no longer work for call forwarding?

The Department of Telecommunications ordered all operators to discontinue USSD-based call forwarding, most commonly the *401# service, from 15 April 2024 because it was being misused. Forwarding now has to be set through your phone’s call settings, your operator’s app, or another method your operator supports.

Do the **21*, **61* and **67* codes still work?

These are standard GSM forwarding codes, which is a different mechanism from the *401# USSD service. Airtel’s help page (updated May 2026) and Vi’s (December 2025) still list them. If a code returns an error on your connection, use the handset settings or the operator app instead.

Can I forward calls on an iPhone only when I don’t answer?

Not from the iPhone settings menu. Jio notes that iPhone settings support only unconditional forwarding. For busy or no-answer forwarding on an iPhone, use your operator’s app or the codes your operator lists.

Is call forwarding free?

Activating it usually is; Jio says its call forwarding service is free but needs an active plan. How the forwarded leg is billed depends on your operator and plan, so check your tariff before forwarding all calls.

Call forwarding kaise karein Jio, Airtel ya Vi par?

Sabse aasaan tareeka: phone ki Settings mein Call settings > Call forwarding kholiye, “When busy” aur “When unanswered” chuniye, aur AI receptionist ka number daaliye. Jio ke liye MyJio app, Airtel ke liye Airtel Thanks app bhi use kar sakte hain. *401# jaise USSD codes 15 April 2024 se band hain.

Can I forward an office landline or PBX to an AI receptionist?

Yes. Landlines have their own forwarding codes (for example BSNL’s 114 code, or JioFiberVoice’s *401*, *403* and *405* codes), and a PBX or cloud telephony system can route overflow, after-hours or IVR-option calls to the AI as a step in the call flow.

Will Vocora help us set up forwarding?

Yes. Vocora gives you the number to forward to and stays on a call with you while you set it up and test it. Book a free demo or WhatsApp +91 98041 82483.

Sources

Operator menus, apps and codes change. We checked these steps against each operator’s own help page on 7 October 2026; if your screen looks different, follow your operator’s current instructions. This article is general information, not legal advice.

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