Staying connected in India is easier than it used to be — but the registration process for a local SIM card catches many visitors off guard. Here is everything you need to know.
Do You Need an Indian SIM?
If your UK or US plan includes international roaming, you may not need a local SIM for a short trip. However, roaming costs can be steep (EE, Vodafone UK, and T-Mobile US all charge £3–£8 per day for roaming add-ons), and Indian data is extraordinarily cheap by comparison. A month of unlimited calls and 1.5GB of 4G data per day from Jio costs around ₹299 — roughly £3. For stays of a week or more, a local SIM is very much worth the effort.
Which Network to Choose
Three networks dominate:
Jio is the most popular choice for travellers. Its 4G coverage is excellent across cities and increasingly good in rural areas, prices are the lowest in the market, and the My Jio app makes managing your account straightforward. Jio does not do 2G or 3G — it is 4G (LTE) only, so you need a VoLTE-compatible phone.
Airtel is widely regarded as having the best 4G speeds and the most consistent coverage in remote areas — particularly useful in Rajasthan's desert regions, the hills of Himachal Pradesh, or the Northeast. It is slightly more expensive than Jio but worth it if you plan to go off the beaten track.
BSNL (government-owned) has the widest geographic coverage including some areas where no private network reaches, but speeds are slower. Useful as a backup rather than a primary SIM.
Registration Requirements
India requires biometric registration for all SIM cards sold to foreign nationals. You cannot buy a SIM at the airport vending machine and activate it yourself — a registered Airtel or Jio store with a biometric scanner is required.
What you need:
- Your passport (original — a photocopy is not sufficient)
- Your Indian visa (either e-Visa printout or embassy sticker)
- A local Indian contact number or hotel address (for the address field)
- Fingerprint scan at the point of sale
The process takes 15–30 minutes at a store. Bring patience and your paperwork. Some airport stores are authorised to do this — the Airtel and Jio counters at Delhi's Terminal 3 and Mumbai's T2 are reliable options.
SIM Cards at Airports
Both Jio and Airtel have official kiosks in the arrivals areas of all major international airports. These are fully authorised for foreign national registration. Look for the official branded counters (not third-party mobile phone shops nearby).
Roaming With Your Home SIM
If you prefer roaming, the key tips:
- UK users: EE's "Roam Abroad" add-on (£5/day) and O2's "Travel" bolt-on are the most reliable. Three's "Feel At Home" historically didn't cover India — check current coverage before you leave.
- US users: T-Mobile Magenta includes unlimited 2G data internationally (slow but free); AT&T and Verizon offer day-pass roaming for $10/day. Google Fi works well in India with seamless switching between networks.
Staying Connected in Remote Areas
Even with an Indian SIM, some areas have very limited connectivity — hill stations in Uttarakhand and Himachal, the Andaman Islands, parts of the Northeast, and rural Rajasthan can have patchy or no data. Download offline Google Maps for your regions before you go, and consider a physical backup of key booking confirmations.
eSIM as an Alternative
If your phone supports eSIM (most iPhone 13+ and many recent Android flagships do), providers like Airalo and Holafly sell India data eSIMs that activate instantly without needing to visit a store. These provide data-only plans (no local calling number) which is sufficient for most travellers using WhatsApp, Maps, and email. Prices are higher than local SIM plans but the convenience is considerable.