India SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know

Visiting India soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing an India SIM card.

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in India in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in India. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Hindi – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in India.

Best SIM Cards In India

If you’re traveling in India, we recommend using a SIM card from Airtel, Jio, Vi, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Asia, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Asian countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In India

You can either buy an Indian prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Asia prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Airtel, Jio, and Vi.

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Airtel SIM Cards

Airtel offers two different types of tourist plans:

• 1.5 GB per day, valid for 28 days for INR 299 ($3.61)
• 1.5 GB per day, valid for 56 days for INR 479 ($5.79)

Jio SIM Cards

Jio has three different prepaid plans available:

• 2 GB per day, valid for 28 days for INR 299 ($3.61)
• 2 GB per day, valid for 84 days for INR 719 ($8.69)
• 2 GB per day, valid for 365 days for INR 2999 ($36.26)

As you can see, you get slightly more data than Airtel.

Vi SIM Cards

Vi offers four main SIM-only plans for tourists:

• 1.5 GB per day, valid for 28 days for INR 299 ($3.61)
• 1.5 GB per day, valid for 56 days for INR 479 ($5.79)
• 2 GB per day, valid for 28 days for INR 499 ($6.03)
• 3 GB per day, valid for 28 days for INR 601 ($7.27)

Overall, we think Jio is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy An India Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. India is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Another option is to purchase a prepaid Asian SIM card on SimOptions.

They currently offer one data plan in India:

• 10 GB, valid for 14 days for $49.90

Browse your options on SimOptions

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for India or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Asia.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For India

eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in India.

Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo.

Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for India.

Airalo India

If you want an eSIM for India, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Asia and India.

I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine.

Here are the options available:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $8
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $10.50
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $15
• 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $25
• 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $40

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including India.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $17
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $24
• 5 GB, valid for 60 days for $35
• 10 GB, valid for 180 days for $59
• 20 GB, valid for 365 days for $69

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.

Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Go to Airalo

Holafly India

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

Here’s an overview of their plans for India:

• Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $29
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $37
• Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $44
• Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
• Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $59
• Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for $79

Go to Holafly

Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In India

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in India or even an eSIM for your travels in India is pretty straightforward.

You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Asia without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Asia plan.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in India if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.

Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to India soon? Read one of the following blog posts:

• Best place to live in India
• 2 days in Mumbai
• Holi in Mumbai