India eSIM

Staying connected in India

The quickest way to get online in India is to install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you land in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Goa. AirOva sells two kinds of India plan: fixed GB plans and unlimited data with no data cap. India plans run on Airtel and Vodafone Idea, with 5G where available — each plan card lists its network, and one that says Vodafone Idea means Vi. Because the eSIM roams instead of making you an Indian subscriber, there is no passport-and-address paperwork.

Which India plan to choose

India is a heavy-use destination: ride-hailing, maps, translation and WhatsApp run all day. GB plans suit most trips: for a week, light users in one city manage on 3–5 GB, a typical Golden Triangle trip through Delhi, Agra and Jaipur fits in 8–10 GB, and heavy users who video-call or work remotely should size up to match their habits. Unlimited plans have no data cap and no fair-usage limit and are priced by the number of days. Not sure? See how much data you need.

Coverage: cities, coast and the Himalaya

Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and the expressways between them are well covered, as are Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa’s beach belts and the main houseboat routes on the Kerala backwaters. The Himalaya is where India gets sparse: Leh, Manali, Shimla and Rishikesh are fine, but the high passes of Ladakh, Spiti, the Manali–Leh road and Uttarakhand’s trekking routes have long stretches with weak or no signal. In Jammu and Kashmir, prepaid connections from elsewhere in India have long been restricted and roaming coverage may be limited, so ask support before buying if Kashmir is central to your trip.

Arriving at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Goa

The main gateways are Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM) and Bengaluru (BLR); Goa has Dabolim (GOI) and Mopa (GOX). After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the plan is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge. Keep roaming off on your home SIM. Immigration queues at DEL and BOM can be long, so being online when you clear them means your ride is booked. Validity starts on the first connection in India, so installing a few days early costs nothing — see how to install an eSIM.

Apps and local specifics

Uber and Ola run in all the major cities, with Rapido for bike taxis and autos; drivers often message or call at pickup, and airport prepaid taxi counters are a reliable fallback. Hotels, drivers and guides all use WhatsApp — keep it on your home number, since a data plan has no Indian number. UPI usually needs an Indian bank account, so carry some cash and a card that works abroad, and register with IRCTC well before you need a train ticket. More in the India eSIM guide and in eSIM vs pocket Wi-Fi vs local SIM.

One more India tip: distances are large, so size your plan for constant maps and ride-hailing rather than cutting it fine. Download offline maps before Himalayan trips and long train journeys, where signal comes and goes. Keep your home SIM on with data roaming off so bank OTP codes still arrive, and you’ll start the trip in a taxi rather than at a SIM verification counter.