Away With The Steiners

How to get a SIM card for India: best options for data, price and coverage.

Sarah Steiner

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. 

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Hotels and accommodation in India do (mostly) have WIFI (it’s not that outdated).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: 

You could extend your plan from home and use your native SIM card internationally.  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.  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.  

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. 

Welcome to incredible India, by the way. Is it your first time?

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. 

Jio – Choosing a SIM card for India 

Jio is the second largest telecom network provider and offers 4G coverage across the country. 

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.  

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…

Prices are fair with Airtel and there are good data-package options.  Plus 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: 

Usually though, convenience dictates that the easiest place to purchase a SIM card in India is at the international airport on arrival. 

The small but just visible red of the Airtel kiosk and blue SBI Bank ATM ahead at Delhi International Airport.

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. 

Buying a SIM card on arrival at Delhi International Airport 

You can read all about arriving at Delhi International Airport here.

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.  

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).  

That’s a lot of staff for a small network kiosk; but they due process tourist SIM cards for India day in and day out.
Lines for a SIM card from Airtel and to get cash from the ATM at Delhi Airport.

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.  

The truth is that this way takes a heck of a long time and it’s more than a little bit frustrating. So it’s best to avoid this option if you can. 

Buying a SIM card at an Airtel store in Kolkata was a lengthy and laborious process we don’t recommend.

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.  

Try this option only if you haven’t already tried at the airport first! 

A small shop like this in the back streets of Delhi is perfect for recharging data for your SIM.

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.  

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:

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.  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. 

Navigating the hustle and bustle of India is best with data for Internet connectivity at all times.

Getting an eSIM for India with Airalo 

Packages with Airalo for an India eSIM include a range of options for data and price.

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. 

See our detailed Holafly review about our experience with the unlimited data Europe Holafly eSIM. 

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. 

Read more from travel in South Asia

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