Planning your trip to India and wondering the best way to stay connected? We have compiled a complete guide to choosing and buying a SIM card for India.
And read on below for the best option we found for our travels in India. We even found one that costs less than $3.50 USD to top up 50GB of data!
Here is everything you need to know to choose a cheap, convenient and reliable SIM card for India.
- Options for mobile data in India
- Indian SIM card providers
- What is the best local SIM card for tourists?
- Where can I buy a local SIM card for India?
- What documents are required?
- How much does it cost?
- How do I top-up?
- eSIMs options for India
- The verdict?
What are the options for getting mobile data for travel in India?
Let’s admit it first up. We all rely so much on the internet these days. In India, its useful for navigating, translating, booking and genuinely for capturing all the incredible sights and sounds to share back home and on social media. Hotels and accommodation in India do (mostly) have WIFI (it’s not that outdated). But the truth is we need mobile data and it will make your India adventure more relaxing (ha!) and enjoyable.
To keep it simple, you essentially have three options for staying connected with mobile data while traveling in India:
- Extend you home mobile plan
- Buy a local SIM card for India
- Get an eSIM for India
You could extend your plan from home and use your native SIM card internationally. And if you’re coming directly to Indai for just a short trip this culd be a good option. However, most international roaming plans (sorry) can be eye-wateringly expensive.
It is also possible to buy an eSIM for India through Airalo or Holafly. And although this isn’t the cheapest choice, it is a convenient option. But I’ll explain more about eSIM options and pricing later on. So keep reading to learn more about that!
Ultimately, we recommend your best bet is to buy a physical, local SIM card. It will be much cheaper and easy to get sorted quickly on your arrival in the country.
Indian mobile networks and SIM Card providers
There are several different options for SIM cards for India.
These are the main three network operators offering a prepaid SIM card for India that is easily accessible to travellers.
- Jio or Reliance Jio
- Airtel
- VI (Vodafone Idea)
While choosing a SIM card for India is a personal choice a lot does come down to convenience.
We’ll run (quickly) through the main providers and explain which of those is the easiest (and fastest) to purchase and which is the best prepaid SIM card for foreigners.
VI Vodafone Idea – Choosing a SIM card for India
Vodafone Idea – or VI – is India’s largest telecom service provider, formed when Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merged.
- A prepaid VI SIM card costs 349 INR ($4.15 USD) and includes 2GB of data daily valid for 28 days.
Jio – Choosing a SIM card for India
Jio is the second largest telecom network provider and offers 4G coverage across the country.
- A prepaid Jio SIM card for India costs 299 INR ($3.30 USD) and includes 2GB of data daily valid for 28 days.
Airtel – Choosing a SIM Card for India
Airtel is the third largest provider in India and the largest provider of tourist SIM cards for India. It has some good deals and offers geared specifically for tourists.
- A prepaid Airtel SIM card costs 349 INR ($4.15 USD) and includes 1.5 GB of data daily valid for 30 days.
At the end of 30 days – and during that time – it is possible to purchase further data. The data can be purchased as additional data-only (eg. 20 GB) or as an additional data plan (eg. 1 GB data daily).
As a tourist, which is the best local SIM card for India?
As you can see the prices are similar between network providers and coverage is much of a muchness unless you are heading way out into the Himalayan wilderness…
- Based on convenience for purchase on arrival, we recommend Airtel as the best option of a SIM card for India for tourists.
Prices are fair with Airtel and there are good data-package options. And Airtel is the most convenient and first available SIM card provider on arrival in the country.
Where can I buy a local SIM card in India as a tourist?
Once you touch down in India you have choices. There are several options for where to get a local SIM card:
- On arrival at an international airport
- Directly through a local Network shop
- From a street vendor or through your accommodation provider
Usually though, convenience dictates that the easiest place to purchase a SIM card in India is at the international airport on arrival.
Buying a prepaid SIM card at an international airport
Buying a SIM card for India at the airport is the most convenient and highly recommended place to get a SIM card.
Airtel is the most commonly available SIM card provider for India on arrival at international airports in the country.
All the major international airports have an Airtel kiosk in the arrivals hall.
- Airtel New Delhi Airport – T3 International Arrivals and Departures.
- Airtel Mumbai Airport – Level 2 Arrivals, T2.
Buying a SIM card on arrival at Delhi International Airport
You can read all about arriving at Delhi International Airport here. But from the baggage claim area, head out through Customs into the main arrivals hall of Delhi Airport.
The first thing you will see directly in front of you is the bright red Airtel kiosk and the blue SBI Bank ATM.
- Tip: You will need to withdraw money here first to buy a SIM card from Airtel. The SIM card can only be paid for in cash.
You will need your passport. They will photocopy your passport and in theory you need a passport photo to hand over for the SIM card application. However, don’t fret if you do not have a passport photo. They will huff and puff a bit but in actual fact they can take your photo just to the side of the kiosk with a perfectly fine digital snap.
The Airtel kiosk is not large but there are at least 8 men working in the small space. It is a notoriously laborious process. And there aren’t even any prices listed or billboards advertising different rates.
But don’t panic (this is India, remember).
- A prepaid SIM card for India with Airtel costs 800 INR ($9.50 USD) on arrival at Delhi International Airport and includes 1.5 GB data daily, valid for 30 days.
Buying a prepaid SIM card from a network store
You can visit a network store for one of the mobile operators mentioned above to buy your SIM card for India. We have done this before in Kolkata.
However, these stores are mainly for locals buying SIM cards and setting up phone accounts and they aren’t up to speed with tourist options. The store may ask for a local address and phone number, which as a tourist you’re unlikely to have.
And the truth is that this way takes a heck of a long time and it’s more than a little bit frustrating . It’s best to avoid this option if you can.
Buying a prepaid SIM card from your accommodation provider
This is always going to be a slightly more expensive option to buy a SIM card for India because the third party needs to make money too. But I love how this so fittingly matches the moniker that ‘anything is possible in India.’
And it’s true. It can be an absolute headache as a tourist to wait hours in a network store to process application for a SIM card for India. Your accommodation provider is a more convenient option.
In the larger cities, and with budget accommodation options as opposed to huge, franchised chain hotels, they will likely be geared up to help tourists and keen to make a few rupees themselves.
- Tip: We always found it easier to ask staff at our guesthouse to top up our Airtel SIM cards with data, and with prices so reasonable we could offer them 100 INR ($1 USD) tip to top us up.
Try this option only if you haven’t already tried at the airport first!
How much does it cost to recharge data?
The best value for money data is to buy an Airtel prepaid tourist SIM card for India at the airport. This means you get 1.5 GB data daily for 30 days.
If this isn’t enough data, it is possible – and cheap – to purchase extra data on top of your daily data allowance.
These are the updated costs (2024) for data recharge valid for 30 days with Airtel India:
- 50GB: 361 INR
- 15GB: 181 INR
- 6GB: 121 INR
Where else have you found data cheaper anywhere in the world?
How do you top-up and recharge your prepaid SIM card?
Once you have your SIM card sorted it’s easy to recharge at small shops and convenience stores all over the place. Just say the word ‘recharge’ and someone will point you in the right direction.
We found it easy to ask staff at our accommodation to top up for us via their seemingly much more detailed app than the Airtel app we downloaded. And because the recharge is so cheap, it is a way to give a tip to whoever it is that tops your SIM card up.
What about eSIM options?
It is possible to get an eSIM for India meaning you don’t even need to buy or find a physical local SIM card to put in your phone on arrival in the country.
There are options with Airalo and Holafly to get an eSIM (which you can download before you arrive) and activate it as soon as you arrive. And it is easy to top-up by credit card and ensure you always have access to data in India.
However, eSIMs in India are still not widely tested and travelled. This means they are a pricey (pricier?) way of getting data in India.
Getting an eSIM for India with Airalo
Packages with Airalo for an India eSIM include a range of options for data and price.
- 5GB data / valid for 30 days: $15 USD
- 10GB data / valid for 30 days: $25 USD
- 20GB data / valid for 30 days: $40 USD
Getting an eSIM for India with Holafly
The packages offered by Holafly for an India eSIM come with unlimited data. Holafly became the first in the eSIM industry to offer unlimited data caps for travel eSIMs.
- 7 Days / Unlimited Data: $38.90 USD
- 10 Days / Unlimited Data: $48.90 USD
- 14 Days / Unlimited Data: $63.90 USD
See our detailed Holafly review about our experience with the unlimited data Europe Holafly eSIM.
- Use our code THESTEINERFAMILY for 5% your Holafly eSIM purchase.
Final thoughts? What do we recommend for staying connected with a SIM card for India?
So, there you have it. There are plenty of options for a SIM card for India. With the local SIM cards and prices for data in India they aren’t all too different. But by far the easiest and most readily available SIM card for India that we recommend is the Airtel local SIM card for tourists.
More about travel planning for India and beyond…
You’ve mastered arriving at Delhi airport? Now, these are the companies we use while traveling full-time as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love the flexible cancellation policy!).
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
Read more from travel in South Asia
- Taking an overnight train in Pakistan from Islamabad to Karachi.
- How to apply for a Pakistan e-Visa: And can you use it at the Wagah Border?
- Crossing the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan.
- Pakistan with kids: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan.
- Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
- How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
- Our complete packing list for travel in India.
