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Muscat is 1 h 30 min behind India

WhatsApp Business API for the India–Muscat trade corridor

India and Oman trace their contact across the Arabian Sea back some 5,000 years, and since June 2026 they trade under a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Muscat runs ninety minutes behind India.

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Muscat

A 10:00–18:00 IST working day is 08:30–16:30 in Muscat (on 21 October 2026; daylight saving moves it).

Governorate
Muscat
Country
Oman
Clock
UTC+4 all year, 90 minutes behind IST[5]
Indians in Oman
About 674,950 (February 2026)[1]
Trade agreement
India–Oman CEPA, in force since 1 June 2026[2]
Meta market
Oman

For Indian exporters with buyers in Muscat and businesses serving Indian families in Oman: what the India–Oman CEPA changes for order updates, why Omani law asks for written consent before marketing, how a 90-minute time gap shapes the day, and what a message to a +968 number costs in rupees.

See it work

From 1955 to the first CEPA orders

Seventy years of the India–Oman relationship, as the Embassy of India in Muscat records it, ending where an Indian exporter's WhatsApp programme begins.

The agreement covers trade in goods and services and supply-chain integration across manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agriculture and logistics. For an Indian exporter, each new Muscat buyer is a thread of confirmations, dispatch notices and payment receipts, the messages WhatsApp classes as utility.

Those updates can be sent by your order system through the developer API the moment a status changes, and the buyer's questions about them land in one shared team inbox.

The India–Muscat corridor, milestone by milestone

8 / 8

NowNowEvent 8 of 8

Your Muscat programme

Proforma, shipment and payment updates to Muscat buyers as utility templates; offers only with written consent.

Dates from the Embassy of India in Muscat. The last marker is yours: the order, shipment and payment updates a Muscat buyer now waits for.

Event 8 of 8: Now — Your Muscat programme (now). Proforma, shipment and payment updates to Muscat buyers as utility templates; offers only with written consent.

The corridor in the Embassy's figures

What the Embassy of India in Muscat reports about the people and the trade that link the city to India.

About 674,950 Indians lived in Oman in February 2026, according to Omani government figures cited by the Embassy.[1]

India–Oman trade reached US$11.187 billion in FY 2025–26, up from US$10.613 billion the year before.[2]

India is Oman's third-largest source of non-oil imports, after the UAE and China; petroleum products, processed minerals, iron and steel, basmati rice, chemicals and ceramics are among its exports to Oman.[2]

More than 6,000 India–Oman joint ventures operate in Oman, according to the Embassy.[2]

Twenty-two Indian schools on the CBSE curriculum teach more than 48,000 students across Oman; the first opened at Darsait in 1975.[3]

Who messages what

Indian businesses that write to Muscat

Three kinds of sender, and the messages each one owes a Muscat contact.

SectorWhat it sends on WhatsApp
Exporters under the CEPARice, steel, ceramics and processed minerals already move from India to Oman; every order is a run of updates.[2]
  • Proforma and order confirmations
  • Shipment and arrival notices
  • Payment-received updates
Services for Indian families in OmanBanks, insurers, developers and travel firms in India write to a community of about 674,950 people.[1]
  • KYC and document requests
  • EMI and premium reminders
  • Flight and holiday bookings home
Edtech and coachingStudents in Oman's CBSE schools follow the same syllabus as students in India, so Indian tutoring and test-prep firms can serve them on India's calendar.[3]
  • Class and test reminders
  • Result notices to parents
  • Fee receipts

Ninety minutes apart

Oman keeps UTC+4 all year and India keeps UTC+5:30, so the gap never moves: 09:00 in Muscat is 10:30 in India, and a send scheduled for 10:00 IST lands at 08:30 in Ruwi or Qurum. One shift in India covers almost the whole Muscat working day.

That closeness changes how the 24-hour service window feels. A buyer who writes at 16:00 in Muscat reaches your team at 17:30 IST, before most Indian offices close, and a reply the same evening keeps the conversation free-form. There is no night shift to plan for.

What needs planning is consent. Oman's Personal Data Protection Law asks for the data subject's written consent before any advertising or marketing material is sent, so a Muscat promotion needs more than a ticked box. The Oman guide walks through what that means for WhatsApp.

Arabic, English and the languages of home

Omani buyers read Arabic or English; Indian families may prefer a language from home. Meta approves each language version of a template separately.

Ask each contact for a language at opt-in and keep it on the contact record. Inside the 24-hour window your agents can reply in any language. InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi.

Meta template languages relevant to Muscat
LanguageMeta codeUse it for
ArabicarRight-to-left; for Omani buyers and consumers
EnglishenTrade, B2B and most expatriate contacts
MalayalammlFor Indian families who chose it when they opted in
HindihiFor Indian contacts who asked for Hindi

Prices in ₹ and OMR

What a message to a Muscat number costs

Oman has its own line on Meta's rate card: ₹2.17 for a utility template, ₹2.17 for a passcode, ₹3.00 for a consented offer and ₹2.17 for a service reply, in rupees before GST. Plans start at ₹999 a month.

Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC

Lite

₹999 / month≈ OMR 4.04 OMR

₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ OMR 3.37 OMR

Everything a growing business needs to run WhatsApp properly.

Growth

₹2,999 / month≈ OMR 12.13 OMR

₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ OMR 10.11 OMR

Lite, plus the API, automation and team scale serious senders need.

Enterprise

Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.

Per message to Muscat · Oman

InfiQ per-message rates for Muscat in rupees and OMR
Category₹ INROMR
Marketing₹2.9992OMR 0.0121
Utility₹2.1709OMR 0.0088
Authentication₹2.1709OMR 0.0088
Service₹2.1709OMR 0.0088
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and OMR
Per-message rates by market, effective 1 October 2026
MarketMarketingUtilityAuthenticationService
ArgentinaOMR 0.0220₹5.4352OMR 0.0093₹2.2874OMR 0.0093₹2.2874OMR 0.0093₹2.2874
BangladeshOMR 0.0260₹6.4397OMR 0.0013₹0.3254OMR 0.0013₹0.3254OMR 0.0013₹0.3254
BrazilOMR 0.0222₹5.4970OMR 0.0024₹0.5981OMR 0.0024₹0.5981OMR 0.0024₹0.5981
ChileOMR 0.0316₹7.8162OMR 0.0071₹1.7585OMR 0.0071₹1.7585OMR 0.0071₹1.7585
ColombiaOMR 0.0044₹1.0993OMR 0.0003₹0.0706OMR 0.0003₹0.0706OMR 0.0003₹0.0706
EgyptOMR 0.0229₹5.6629OMR 0.0013₹0.3167OMR 0.0013₹0.3167OMR 0.0013₹0.3167
FranceOMR 0.0306₹7.5588OMR 0.0107₹2.6393OMR 0.0107₹2.6393OMR 0.0107₹2.6393
GermanyOMR 0.0486₹12.0088OMR 0.0196₹4.8386OMR 0.0196₹4.8386OMR 0.0196₹4.8386
Hong KongOMR 0.0260₹6.4397OMR 0.0092₹2.2867OMR 0.0092₹2.2867OMR 0.0092₹2.2867
HungaryOMR 0.0306₹7.5596OMR 0.0124₹3.0700OMR 0.0124₹3.0700OMR 0.0124₹3.0700
IndiaOMR 0.0038₹0.9435OMR 0.0008₹0.1941OMR 0.0006₹0.1402OMR 0.0006₹0.1450
IndonesiaOMR 0.0146₹3.6133OMR 0.0089₹2.1979OMR 0.0089₹2.1979OMR 0.0089₹2.1979
IraqOMR 0.0121₹2.9992OMR 0.0028₹0.6943OMR 0.0028₹0.6943OMR 0.0028₹0.6943
IsraelOMR 0.0126₹3.1045OMR 0.0019₹0.4662OMR 0.0019₹0.4662OMR 0.0019₹0.4662
ItalyOMR 0.0283₹6.9847OMR 0.0107₹2.6369OMR 0.0107₹2.6369OMR 0.0107₹2.6369
KazakhstanOMR 0.0215₹5.3098OMR 0.0064₹1.5824OMR 0.0064₹1.5824OMR 0.0064₹1.5824
KuwaitOMR 0.0282₹6.9671OMR 0.0156₹3.8671OMR 0.0156₹3.8671OMR 0.0156₹3.8671
MalaysiaOMR 0.0306₹7.5644OMR 0.0050₹1.2314OMR 0.0050₹1.2314OMR 0.0050₹1.2314
MexicoOMR 0.0141₹3.4877OMR 0.0030₹0.7471OMR 0.0030₹0.7471OMR 0.0030₹0.7471
MoroccoOMR 0.0147₹3.6425OMR 0.0082₹2.0218OMR 0.0082₹2.0218OMR 0.0082₹2.0218
NetherlandsOMR 0.0568₹14.0494OMR 0.0178₹4.3987OMR 0.0178₹4.3987OMR 0.0178₹4.3987
NepalOMR 0.0260₹6.4397OMR 0.0012₹0.2990OMR 0.0012₹0.2990OMR 0.0012₹0.2990
NigeriaOMR 0.0184₹4.5421OMR 0.0024₹0.5898OMR 0.0024₹0.5898OMR 0.0024₹0.5898
OmanOMR 0.0121₹2.9992OMR 0.0088₹2.1709OMR 0.0088₹2.1709OMR 0.0088₹2.1709
PakistanOMR 0.0168₹4.1620OMR 0.0053₹1.3200OMR 0.0053₹1.3200OMR 0.0053₹1.3200
PeruOMR 0.0250₹6.1843OMR 0.0107₹2.6392OMR 0.0107₹2.6392OMR 0.0107₹2.6392
PolandOMR 0.0130₹3.2105OMR 0.0043₹1.0702OMR 0.0043₹1.0702OMR 0.0043₹1.0702
QatarOMR 0.0121₹2.9992OMR 0.0043₹1.0547OMR 0.0043₹1.0547OMR 0.0043₹1.0547
RomaniaOMR 0.0306₹7.5596OMR 0.0103₹2.5436OMR 0.0103₹2.5436OMR 0.0103₹2.5436
RussiaOMR 0.0285₹7.0520OMR 0.0142₹3.5173OMR 0.0142₹3.5173OMR 0.0142₹3.5173
Saudi ArabiaOMR 0.0204₹5.0537OMR 0.0038₹0.9401OMR 0.0038₹0.9401OMR 0.0038₹0.9401
SingaporeOMR 0.0260₹6.4397OMR 0.0057₹1.4072OMR 0.0057₹1.4072OMR 0.0057₹1.4072
South AfricaOMR 0.0135₹3.3385OMR 0.0034₹0.8369OMR 0.0034₹0.8369OMR 0.0034₹0.8369
SpainOMR 0.0251₹6.2161OMR 0.0071₹1.7578OMR 0.0071₹1.7578OMR 0.0071₹1.7578
Sri LankaOMR 0.0260₹6.4397OMR 0.0007₹0.1759OMR 0.0007₹0.1759OMR 0.0007₹0.1759
TurkeyOMR 0.0039₹0.9587OMR 0.0003₹0.0792OMR 0.0003₹0.0792OMR 0.0003₹0.0792
UkraineOMR 0.0306₹7.5596OMR 0.0106₹2.6138OMR 0.0106₹2.6138OMR 0.0106₹2.6138
United Arab EmiratesOMR 0.0204₹5.0537OMR 0.0056₹1.3811OMR 0.0056₹1.3811OMR 0.0056₹1.3811
United KingdomOMR 0.0226₹5.5795OMR 0.0078₹1.9346OMR 0.0078₹1.9346OMR 0.0078₹1.9346
North AmericaOMR 0.0089₹2.1976OMR 0.0012₹0.2989OMR 0.0012₹0.2989OMR 0.0012₹0.2989
Rest of AfricaOMR 0.0080₹1.9796OMR 0.0014₹0.3516OMR 0.0014₹0.3516OMR 0.0014₹0.3516
Rest of Asia PacificOMR 0.0300₹7.4057OMR 0.0040₹0.9938OMR 0.0040₹0.9938OMR 0.0040₹0.9938
Rest of Central & Eastern EuropeOMR 0.0306₹7.5596OMR 0.0075₹1.8595OMR 0.0075₹1.8595OMR 0.0075₹1.8595
Rest of Latin AmericaOMR 0.0263₹6.5048OMR 0.0040₹0.9934OMR 0.0040₹0.9934OMR 0.0040₹0.9934
Rest of Middle EastOMR 0.0140₹3.4490OMR 0.0032₹0.7998OMR 0.0032₹0.7998OMR 0.0032₹0.7998
Rest of Western EuropeOMR 0.0211₹5.2054OMR 0.0061₹1.5019OMR 0.0061₹1.5019OMR 0.0061₹1.5019
OtherOMR 0.0215₹5.3098OMR 0.0027₹0.6769OMR 0.0027₹0.6769OMR 0.0027₹0.6769
Currency converter

OMR 4.04 OMR

Indicative conversion at reference rates (ExchangeRate-API snapshot). InfiQ sets and invoices prices in Indian rupees, excluding GST; your bank’s rate on the day you pay will differ. Rates By Exchange Rate API.

Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Meta prices by the recipient's country code: a Muscat family member who keeps an Indian +91 number is billed at India rates, ₹0.19 for a utility template. Rial figures in the converter are indicative; InfiQ invoices in rupees.

Work out your own monthly cost by message type.

Calculate your exact cost

On InfiQ

What an Indian team uses to serve Muscat

Order updates, a team on one number and the consent record Oman's law asks for.

  1. Consent records and opt-out enforcement

    Store each Muscat contact's opt-in with its source and time, the starting point for showing written consent before a promotion.

  2. Developer API and webhooks

    Your ERP sends proforma, shipment and payment updates to Muscat buyers as soon as a CEPA order changes status.

  3. Template manager and library

    Keep Arabic, English and Malayalam versions of the same update and track Meta's approval of each.

  4. Shared team inbox

    Buyer questions from the Muscat afternoon reach the team in India before the Indian working day ends.

Nearby

City pages near Muscat

The nearest city pages across the Gulf, nearest first, while Oman has only one.

Written consent, the Executive Regulation's opt-out and the +968 rate apply across Oman; the Oman guide covers them.

Guides for Muscat teams

Questions Muscat businesses ask

We ship basmati rice to wholesalers in Muscat under the CEPA. Are our order updates marketing or utility?+
Utility, when they concern an order the wholesaler placed: proforma, dispatch, arrival and payment-received notices, at ₹2.17 per delivered message. A new price list or crop offer is marketing at ₹3.00, and in Oman it needs the buyer's written consent first.
What does Oman's written-consent rule mean for promotions to shoppers in Qurum and Al Khuwair?+
Article 22 of the Personal Data Protection Law requires written consent before advertising or marketing material is sent. Collect a clear, recorded yes before the first promotional template, include an opt-out, and stop when a shopper uses it. The [Oman guide](/whatsapp-business-api/countries/oman) has the detail.
Our wholesale buyers in Ruwi write at 15:00. Can the sales desk at our Kochi head office answer the same day?+
Yes. 15:00 in Muscat is 16:30 IST, inside most Indian working days, and Oman does not change its clocks, so the 90-minute gap holds all year. Replies inside 24 hours of the buyer's message are free-form service messages at ₹2.17, charged per message since 1 October 2026.
Can parents of students at Indian schools in Muscat get coaching reminders in Malayalam?+
Yes, if they chose Malayalam when they opted in. Malayalam (ml) is on Meta's template language list, and each language version of a reminder is approved separately. Keep an English version for parents who prefer it.
Our bank in India serves NRI customers in Muscat. Which messages to Omani numbers cost what?+
A one-time passcode is authentication at ₹2.17, a statement or EMI reminder is utility at ₹2.17, and a reply inside the 24-hour window is service at ₹2.17, all billed at the Oman rate because the number is +968. A customer who uses an Indian +91 number is billed at India rates.
A trading company in Muttrah wants its own WhatsApp number on our InfiQ account. Can we add it?+
InfiQ serves India-based businesses: your Indian company holds the account, pays in rupees with GST and messages Omani numbers at the Oman rate. Whether a number for a company based in Muscat fits that account is a question for sales, so talk to them before you plan it.
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Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. Page updated 2026-10-20.

  1. [1]India and Oman bilateral relations · Embassy of India, Muscat · read 2026-10-20
  2. [2]Trade and commerce brief · Embassy of India, Muscat · read 2026-10-20
  3. [3]Indian schools in Oman · Embassy of India, Muscat · read 2026-10-20
  4. [4]Royal Decree 6/2022 promulgating the Personal Data Protection Law · Decree.om · read 2026-10-20
  5. [5]tzdb 'asia' file: Asia/Dubai (+04), which Oman follows · IANA Time Zone Database · read 2026-10-20
  6. [6]Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform · Meta for Developers · read 2026-10-20

Ninety minutes from your desk to Muscat

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