---
title: How do I send SMS in Hindi or another Indian language?
description: "Regional-language SMS works the same way as English, with two differences: the message is sent as Unicode, and your DLT template must be registered in that language. ## What to expect on length and cost - A Unicode SMS holds…"
url: "https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/how-do-i-send-sms-in-hindi-or-another-indian-language/"
updated: "2026-10-30"
category: "Bulk SMS / Message Length & Encoding"
---

# How do I send SMS in Hindi or another Indian language?

Regional-language SMS works the same way as English, with two differences: the message is sent as Unicode, and your DLT template must be registered in that language.

## What to expect on length and cost

- A Unicode SMS holds **70 characters**, then 67 per additional part.
- A typical two-line Hindi message therefore often costs two or three parts, where the English version would cost one.
- Mixing English and Hindi does not help: the whole message is Unicode as soon as any Hindi character appears.

## Steps

1. **Register the template on your DLT portal in the same language** you intend to send. A Hindi message sent against an English-approved template fails as a template mismatch.
2. **Add the template to your account** with its DLT Template ID, under your message templates.
3. **Check the length.** Paste the final text into **Extra > SMS Length Calculator**; the Encoding should read Unicode, and Cost tells you the parts per recipient.
4. **Send a test to your own number first.** Confirm the script renders correctly on an Android and an iPhone before the full campaign.

## Common problems

| Symptom | Cause |
| --- | --- |
| Boxes or question marks instead of letters | The text lost its encoding somewhere between your file and the send box. Retype or paste from a UTF-8 source. |
| Template mismatch failure | The DLT template is in a different language or has different wording from what was sent. |
| Cost higher than expected | Normal for Unicode. Shorten the text, or keep purely transactional parts in English where that suits your customers. |

### More Related Articles

- [Which characters make my message Unicode, and which ones count as two?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/which-characters-make-my-message-unicode-and-which-ones-count-as-two/)
- [Why was my message charged as more than one SMS?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/why-was-my-message-charged-as-more-than-one-sms/)
- [How many characters fit in one SMS?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/how-many-characters-fit-in-one-sms/)

Found this useful?[Add as Preferred Source on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=smsgatewaycenter.com)