The best eSIM for India is the one that fits how long you stay and where you go. Visiting family in Delhi, Punjab or Kerala, or touring the Golden Triangle? An India eSIM gives you the most data for your money, from 3 days to 90 days. Stopping in Dubai, Sri Lanka or Singapore on the way? An Asia eSIM covers India and 25 more countries on one plan. Both are data only. You buy them online, install them at home, and they connect when you land. Plan details in this guide come from our India eSIM page and Asia eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three India picks: two weeks, a month or three months.
India 20GB (15 days) · India 50GB (30 days) · India 60GB (90 days) · all data only · See all India eSIMs or browse every destination
What makes an eSIM the best one for India?
There is no single best eSIM for everyone. The right one fits your trip. Check these points before you buy:
- Data and days: enough data for your whole stay. Family visits and weddings often last weeks, so look past the 7-day plans.
- Countries covered: India only, or India plus a stopover in the Gulf or Southeast Asia.
- Network: the Indian network the eSIM uses. Coverage is best where that network is strong.
- Top-ups: so you can add data instead of buying a new eSIM.
- When the days start: ideally when you land, not when you buy or install it.
- Phone number: most travel eSIMs are data only. Decide if you really need an Indian (+91) number.
- Your phone: it must support eSIM and be unlocked.
Our eSIMs for India: the details
SimOptions sells seven India plans, and India is also on our Asia plans. Here is what they offer, from the plan details on our pages:
- India plans: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days and 60 GB for 90 days.
- Network: our India page lists Airtel and Vi, on 4G/LTE.
- Asia plans: 26 countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. 1 GB lasts 7 days, 3 GB to 30 GB last 30 days, and 50 GB lasts 60 days.
- Calls and SMS: none. All these plans are data only, with no phone number.
- Activation: once installed, the eSIM activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. Your days start then.
- Top-ups: available.
- Expiry: if you don't use the eSIM within a year of buying it, it becomes invalid.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You buy it online and your QR code comes by email. Current prices are on the India eSIM page.
Which eSIM is best for your India trip?
Start with how long you stay. Then check if you spend time in other countries on the way.
A week or less: India 5GB or 10GB
A business trip to Mumbai or Bengaluru, or a quick Delhi, Agra and Jaipur loop? The 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. That covers maps, ride apps, messages and video calls home.
Two weeks: India 20GB
Two weeks of sightseeing, a family wedding or a trip through Rajasthan? India 20GB lasts 15 days. That's enough for daily maps, social media, photos and regular video calls.
A month or longer: India 50GB or 60GB
Spending a long summer, Diwali or a few months with family? India 50GB lasts 30 days and India 60GB lasts 90 days. Running low? Top up the same eSIM instead of buying a new one.
India plus a stopover in the Gulf or Asia
An India plan only works in India. If you spend a few days in Dubai or Doha on the way, or carry on to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Thailand, one Asia plan covers all of them, so you don't swap eSIMs between countries. Nepal is not on our Asia plan, so check our destinations if it's on your route. When we checked our pages, the India plans cost less than the Asia plans with the same data, so for an India-only trip they are the better buy. More on the region in our guide to the best eSIM for Asia.
Stopping in the Gulf or elsewhere in Asia as well as India? This plan covers 26 countries for 30 days.
You need a phone number
Our India and Asia plans are data only. You can still call and text over data with apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. Your home SIM stays on your phone too, so you keep getting texts and bank codes on your usual number. If you need a +91 number, you need a line from an Indian operator (see below).
Can you buy an Indian eSIM online?
Not as a visitor. Indian operators such as Jio and Airtel offer eSIM, but only on an Indian number. Jio lets existing customers switch to eSIM in the MyJio app (Jio eSIM). Airtel says to visit an Airtel store for a new eSIM connection (Airtel eSIM). So you first open an Indian line with the usual ID checks, then move it to eSIM.
What you can buy online is a travel eSIM for India, like ours. It gives you data on an Indian network, but no +91 number.
The rules for foreigners getting an Indian SIM
Under guidelines from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT), a foreigner needs a passport with a valid visa to get a mobile connection. For address proof, the operator takes the address of a local reference, which can be your tour operator, or the address where you stay if you have no local reference. For a foreign tourist, the connection can't last beyond the visa, and not more than three months at a time (Business Standard). Jio's 2025 consumer charter still applies the same three-month limit for foreign tourists (Jio Telecom Consumer Charter).
The four networks, the documents each one asks for and where to buy: see our guide to the best prepaid SIM cards for India.
Visiting family? Keep your home number
If you live abroad and come back to see family, your home number still matters. Your bank and many apps send one-time codes there. NPCI, which runs UPI, lets non-residents with NRE or NRO accounts use UPI with a mobile number from 10 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia (ThePrint). Your bank has to support it, so check with them before you fly. A travel eSIM for data, next to your home line, keeps both working.
Mobile coverage in India's top places
India is huge, and signal varies a lot. It's usually strongest in the cities and along main roads. In the mountains, the desert and remote villages it can be weak or missing. Here is what to expect in the places many visitors go.
New Delhi
The capital is busy, colorful and full of street food. Don't miss Humayun's Tomb and the Qutub Minar, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, plus India Gate and the Lotus Temple. In Old Delhi, visit the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and the market lanes of Chandni Chowk. Traffic is heavy, so data for maps, the metro and ride apps saves you time.
Agra
Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Agra has more Mughal monuments too, like Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb and Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra. If you book your tickets online, save them offline in case the signal is weak at the gate.
Mumbai
Mumbai is a big, cosmopolitan city by the sea, from five-star hotels to street stalls. Walk along Marine Drive, the seafront promenade, and see the Gateway of India. For nature, head to Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Kanheri Caves inside it. Signal is good in the city, and you'll use data for local trains, taxis and food apps.
Rajasthan
Rajasthan means "Land of Kings", and it's full of palaces and forts. Jaipur, the Pink City, forms the Golden Triangle with Delhi and Agra. Visit the Amber Fort, then head west to Jodhpur, the Blue City, and its Mehrangarh Fort. Signal can drop on desert roads, so download offline maps before long drives.
Rishikesh
Rishikesh sits on the Ganges at the foot of the Himalayas. It's known for yoga, river rafting and the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony on the riverbank. Signal is fine in town, but it can fade on mountain roads and treks, so tell your family when you'll be offline.
Safety and travel advice
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) advises against all travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border, and against all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, except flying to and staying within the city of Jammu. It advises against all but essential travel to Manipur, where internet services can be suspended at short notice (FCDO: India regional risks). It also warns that strikes and protests can disrupt transport and public services, including mobile networks and internet (FCDO: India safety and security). Keep your hosts' addresses and phone numbers saved offline, and check your own government's advice before you book.
How much data do you need in India?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your family's home or your hotel helps, but don't count on it everywhere. Our India page suggests:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB, for maps, ride apps and messages.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you work online.
Staying longer? India 60GB lasts 90 days, and you can top up. Tips to stretch your data: how to reduce data usage abroad.
How to set up your India eSIM
- Check eSIM support. Dial *#06#. If your phone shows an EID number, it supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Check that your phone is unlocked. A phone locked to a carrier only accepts that carrier's eSIMs. See how to unlock your phone.
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. On iPhone, scan the QR code with the Camera app, or on iOS 17.4 and later tap and hold the code in the email and choose Add eSIM (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone). Step by step for iPhone and Android: how to install an eSIM.
- When you land, choose the travel eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM.
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad. Keep the line on if you want calls, texts and bank codes.
Using two lines at once is easy once you know where the settings are: see how to set up and manage a dual eSIM. No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the usual causes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for India?
The one that fits your trip. For India only, an India eSIM gives you the most data for your money: 5 GB or 10 GB for a week, 20 GB for two weeks, 50 GB for a month and 60 GB for 90 days. If you also stop in the Gulf or elsewhere in Asia, an Asia eSIM covers 26 countries on one plan.
Which eSIMs are available in India?
Two kinds. Indian operators such as Jio and Airtel offer eSIMs on an Indian number, which you open with ID checks first. Travel eSIMs, like ours, you buy online and install before you fly. They give you data on an Indian network but no +91 number.
How do I get an Indian eSIM as a tourist?
For a +91 number, open a line in an operator's store with your passport, visa and a local address, then ask for eSIM. For data only, buy a travel eSIM for India online, install it at home and it connects when you land.
Does an eSIM work on iPhone in India?
Yes, on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later, as long as the iPhone is unlocked. Install the eSIM before you fly and turn on data roaming for it when you land.
Can I get an Indian phone number with an eSIM?
Not with our plans, which are data only. For a +91 number, get a line from an Indian operator. You can call over data with WhatsApp or FaceTime instead.
When does my India eSIM start counting days?
The plan activates automatically when you arrive in India, so your days start on arrival, not when you buy or install it.