The best eSIM for India
A diverse country of vibrant cultures, spices, and history. Here is the plan we would pick today, the live pricing for every plan we track, and the practical things to know before you fly.
The lowest price-per-gigabyte we currently track for India. A solid fit for most one-to-two-week trips with maps, messaging, and the occasional photo upload.
| Provider | Data | Days | Price | $/GB | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GoMoWorld | 55GB | 30 | $29.99 | $0.55 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 35GB | 30 | $19.99 | $0.57 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 17GB | 30 | $10.99 | $0.65 | Get → |
 Nomad | 50GB | 30 | $45.00 | $0.90 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 3.5GB | 7 | $3.99 | $1.14 | Get → |
| Nomad | 20GB | 30 | $31.00 | $1.55 | Get → |
 Saily | 20GB | 30 | $35.09 | $1.75 | Get → |
 Virgin Connect | 100GB | 30 | $190.50 | $1.91 | Get → |
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 | $21.00 | $2.10 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 50GB | 30 | $105.50 | $2.11 | Get → |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 | $21.59 | $2.16 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 20GB | 30 | $45.00 | $2.25 | Get → |
| Nomad | 5GB | 30 | $13.00 | $2.60 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 10GB | 30 | $27.00 | $2.70 | Get → |
 Roamless | 3GB | PAYG | $8.85 | $2.95 | Get → |
 GigSky | 10GB | 30 | $29.99 | $3.00 | Get → |
GoMoWorld- Data
- 55GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.55
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
GoMoWorld- Data
- 35GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.57
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
GoMoWorld- Data
- 17GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.65
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 100GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $1.91
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 50GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $2.11
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 20GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $2.25
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 10GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $2.70
- Network
- Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea · 5G
Prices are live and may change. Google Fi is excluded from the value ranking because it is a full phone plan rather than a travel data plan.
Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi all offer 5G across the central neighbourhoods. Jio has the widest 5G availability nationally; Airtel often leads on raw speed in central business districts.
The Yamuna and Jaipur expressways carry 4G/5G across all carriers. Tourist sites in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Jaipur stay live, with Jio the most consistent for intercity drives.
Beaches from Anjuna and Vagator down through Palolem are well covered. Northern Goa's interior backroads and the Western Ghats slopes around Dudhsagar thin out to Jio-only.
Kochi, Alleppey and the houseboat backwater routes hold signal across all three carriers. The Western Ghats above Munnar and Wayanad see gaps on the higher tea-plantation roads.
Cities have solid coverage. Desert routes between them and out into the dunes thin out fast; BSNL, the state-run carrier, occasionally has signal where private operators do not.
BSNL is often the only working carrier in remote Himalayan valleys. Tourist eSIMs typically roam onto Airtel or Jio and lose coverage outside main towns; carry offline maps and budget for true offline days.
Delhi
- Arriving
- Indira Gandhi International (DEL) is the main hub - Terminal 3 handles most international flights, T1 and T2 are domestic. All terminals have full 4G/5G from Jio, Airtel and Vi. The Airport Express Metro reaches New Delhi Station in 22 minutes with continuous signal underground. Pre-paid airport taxi counters are inside arrivals - bring rupees or pay by card.
- On the subway and rail
- Delhi Metro (10 colour-coded lines plus the Aqua Line to Noida) has cellular coverage on all underground stretches; Jio is consistent at depth and Airtel is close behind. The new Magenta Line and the Pink Line both have 5G live on most underground stations. DTC buses and the Cluster bus network maintain continuous signal. Auto-rickshaws are everywhere but install Ola/Uber for fare transparency.
- Free public WiFi
- Delhi Metro Rail Corporation runs free WiFi at all 250+ stations - SMS-based one-time registration. Connaught Place, India Gate lawns and Chandni Chowk have city-deployed free WiFi (Wi-Fi Hotspot Delhi). Indira Gandhi Airport offers 4 hours free WiFi with a self-service kiosk for SMS registration. Cafes (Cafe Coffee Day, Starbucks, Blue Tokai) universally have open WiFi.
- Coverage in the city
- Reliance Jio has the most aggressive 5G deployment across Delhi NCR, with consistent indoor coverage in old Delhi's narrow lanes (Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazaar) where signal can otherwise struggle. Airtel is competitive across South Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida. Vi (Vodafone Idea) is solid in Connaught Place and Saket but has the thinnest 5G of the three. Coverage holds at Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and India Gate. Indoor at Select Citywalk, DLF Cyber Hub and other mega-malls is excellent.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Local SIMs require Aadhaar verification or passport biometrics at point of sale (an in-store fingerprint scan). Jio at Delhi Airport arrivals has tourist SIMs from ₹699/30 days; Airtel has similar. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) state-owned SIM works in Himalayan regions where private carriers don't but requires extra paperwork. For most travellers, an eSIM bypasses all this friction.
Mumbai
- Arriving
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM) has T2 for international and T1 for domestic - the two are 6 km apart with a free inter-terminal shuttle. Both terminals have full 4G/5G from all three carriers. The Airport Metro Line 3 (under construction) will eventually connect to Cuffe Parade; until then, prepaid taxi or Uber/Ola from the dedicated taxi counters is the standard.
- On the subway and rail
- Mumbai Metro (Lines 1, 2A, 2B, 7 - more under construction) has cell coverage on all underground stations and tunnels. Mumbai Suburban Railway (Western, Central, Harbour lines) - the world's busiest commuter network - is well covered above ground. BEST buses keep continuous signal. The Mumbai Monorail is covered. Ola and Uber are essential during heavy rain when local trains stop.
- Free public WiFi
- MumbaiOne (city WiFi) covers Marine Drive, Gateway of India and Bandra-Worli Sea Link area with SMS registration. CSMIA airport offers 4 hours free WiFi. Major malls (Phoenix Marketcity, R City Mall, High Street Phoenix) have open guest WiFi. Suburban railway stations have BSNL public WiFi. Cafes universally have open WiFi.
- Coverage in the city
- Reliance Jio and Airtel both run 5G across south and central Mumbai - Colaba, Fort, Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Andheri and Powai are all dense 5G. Jio has slightly better indoor coverage in the heritage Art Deco buildings of Marine Drive and Churchgate. Airtel is strong across the BKC business district. Vi covers the basics but is thinner in suburban Mumbai. Monsoon weather can degrade coverage briefly; carry a power bank during the June-September rainy season.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Jio and Airtel stores at CSMIA T2 arrivals sell tourist SIMs with biometric registration. Croma electronics stores throughout the city stock all three carriers. Same passport-plus-biometric requirement applies as in Delhi. Travel eSIMs remain the friction-free option for short visits.
Reliance Jio and Airtel dominate India with broad 4G and expanding 5G in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Rural stretches can drop to 3G, so download maps ahead. With an eSIM you bypass paperwork-heavy SIM registration and hop right onto these networks.
India's mobile landscape has been transformed by Reliance Jio and Airtel, which together provide 4G LTE coverage to most of the country's 1.4 billion people. 5G is expanding rapidly in major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
For eSIM travelers, India offers affordable data but with a caveat: India's telecom regulations historically required in-person SIM registration for local SIMs. Travel eSIMs bypass this requirement entirely, making them the most convenient connectivity option for visitors. Coverage in tourist areas - from the Taj Mahal to Goa's beaches to Kerala's backwaters - is generally strong, though mountainous regions in the Himalayas and remote northeast states may have gaps.
- Travel eSIMs bypass India's complex local SIM registration requirements
- Ola and Uber are essential for city transport - reliable data is a must
- Coverage in Himalayan regions (Ladakh, Sikkim) can be very limited
- India is one of the cheapest countries for mobile data globally
- Download offline maps for rural Rajasthan, hill stations, and wildlife reserves
Average Data Cost
~$0.73-$3/GB
Network Quality
5G in major metros. Broad 4G LTE coverage. Gaps in Himalayas and remote northeast.
eSIM Availability
eSIM supported by major carriers. Travel eSIMs avoid local registration requirements.
Major Carriers
Recommended Providers for India
Plans for India
From $3.99
Plans for India
From $4.00
Plans for India
From $3.99
Plans for India
From $4.00
Plans for India
From $2.95
Pay-as-you-go: $2.95/GB
Plans for India
From $4.99
Plans for India
From $10.00
Pay-as-you-go: $10.00/GB
- 1
Buy and install at home on WiFi.
Installation is not the same as activation. You can install the India eSIM days ahead and only switch it on after you land, which avoids burning days of validity in transit.
- 2
Screenshot your current APN before you swap.
If you ever need to switch back to your home line quickly, that screenshot saves a support call from a foreign airport.
- 3
Decide on your dual-SIM strategy.
Keep your home line on for SMS-based bank logins, two-factor codes, and emergency calls. Set the travel eSIM as the data line only. Most modern phones can do both simultaneously.
- 4
Disable iMessage on the travel eSIM line.
Otherwise iMessage will try to re-activate against the new line on arrival and you will spend the first ten minutes troubleshooting it instead of finding the taxi rank.
- 5
Download offline maps for India.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both support offline regions. Pull them down on home WiFi so a flaky activation never leaves you without a route from the airport. Our offline maps guide walks through it step by step.
- 6
Activate at the airport, not before.
Once the validity timer starts it does not pause. A 15-day plan you turn on the morning of departure burns a full day of validity before you even land.
We are building this section from real, verified traveler submissions rather than stock testimonials, so it stays empty until we have notes we can stand behind. If you have used an eSIM in India recently, a one-paragraph note on what worked (and what did not) helps the next traveler.
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Pricing on this page is pulled live from our database and refreshed every four hours. Coverage notes are sourced from carrier roaming agreements and updated when carriers change partners. Provider rankings are determined by price-per-gigabyte and plan flexibility, not by who pays the largest commission.