North
Delhi, Agra & Jaipur
The Golden Triangle, and most people's first India. Taj Mahal tickets are timed and online, and the Agra and Jaipur runs are far easier booked than negotiated.
India eSIM
Land in India already connected
Buying a local SIM in India means paperwork, a passport photo and a wait for activation. An eSIM means scanning a QR code at home and landing at Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru already online.
Straight past the paperwork
India's prepaid SIM rules are strict: proof of identity, proof of address, a photograph and sometimes a day's wait before the line activates. An eSIM sidesteps all of it — you arrive connected, on Jio and Airtel, which between them cover very nearly the whole country.
IndiaReliance JioBharti Airtel
India plans
Pick the length of your trip
Every plan below covers India. Choose the number of days you're away — the price is fixed, you pay once, and nothing renews afterwards.
Where to go
A country of enormous distances
Delhi to Kerala is further than London to Marrakesh. Domestic flights and overnight trains do the heavy lifting.
Rajasthan
The desert cities
Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, each built around a fort and a colour. Long road transfers between them, on roads where a live map saves real time.
West
Mumbai & Goa
A city that never quite stops, and beaches four hundred kilometres south of it. Local trains in Mumbai are an experience best attempted with a routing app open.
South
Kerala & Tamil Nadu
Backwaters, tea hills at Munnar, and the temple towns of Madurai and Thanjavur. Greener, slower and considerably easier going than the north.
Himalaya
Ladakh, Himachal & Sikkim
High passes, monasteries and roads that close with the snow. Coverage thins out fast up here — download everything before you leave the valley.
East
Kolkata & the Northeast
Colonial Calcutta, then Assam, Meghalaya and the living root bridges. Some Northeast states need inner-line permits, which are applied for online.
On the ground
What you'll actually use it for
Getting around
Ola and Uber both operate widely, IRCTC handles the trains, and a live map beats arguing about the route. All of it needs data.
Booking as you go
Train tickets, monument entry and domestic flights are online-first and sell out. Tatkal train quotas open a day ahead and go in seconds.
Staying in touch
WhatsApp, FaceTime and Signal all run over data, so calls home cost nothing beyond the plan you've already paid for.
Backing up photos
Let a fortnight of pictures sync as you travel rather than praying your phone survives the trip home. This is the one that eats data, so save it for the evening.
When plans go wrong
A cancelled train, a closed road or a hotel that can't find your booking. All of it is easier to fix with a working connection than without one.
How it works
Set it up before you leave home
The whole thing takes about as long as printing a boarding pass, and it's far easier done on your own Wi-Fi than in an airport queue.
1
Choose your dates
Pick the plan that matches how long you're in India.
2
Scan the QR code
It arrives by email as soon as you pay. Open your phone's mobile settings, add an eSIM, scan — done in under a minute, over Wi-Fi at home.
3
Switch it on in India
Your plan starts when the eSIM first finds a network in India, not when you bought it. Turn roaming off on your UK line and you're set.
FAQs
Before you book
Which networks does an India eSIM use?
Our India plans roam onto Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, the two largest networks in the country. Between them they cover very nearly the whole population, including most of the rural areas.
Why not just buy a local SIM?
You can, but India has some of the strictest prepaid SIM rules anywhere: proof of identity and address, a passport photograph, a form, and sometimes a wait of a day before the line activates. An eSIM avoids all of that and works from the moment you land.
What plans are available?
Our network partner currently lists a single-day India plan, and that's what you'll see on the card above — we don't pad the page with options that don't exist. The catalogue has been growing, so if you need longer cover, email [email protected] and we'll tell you what's coming.
What does “unlimited” actually mean?
You get 1GB of full-speed data every day. After that the connection carries on at a reduced 384kbps for the rest of that day, then resets the next morning. There's no hard cut-off and no overage charge, so you can't run up a bill.
Isn't roaming with my UK network easier?
Easier, sometimes. Cheaper, almost never. India sits outside most UK networks' inclusive roaming zones, so you're usually looking at a daily charge or per-megabyte rates that add up fast. Check your provider's rate for India before you travel and compare it with a fixed one-off price.
Can I keep my UK number?
Yes. The eSIM runs alongside your existing SIM, so calls and texts still arrive on your UK number while your data goes over the local networks. Turn data roaming off on your UK line so nothing lands on your normal bill.
How much data do I need for a week?
For maps, messaging, translation and social media, most travellers use somewhere between 500MB and 1GB a day. These plans give you 1GB a day at full speed, which comfortably covers normal sightseeing. Streaming video or tethering a laptop will get through it faster.
Do I get a Indian phone number?
No, these are data-only plans. That covers maps, email, messaging and calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal. If you need a number that takes ordinary calls and texts, keep your UK SIM active alongside the eSIM.
Will my phone take an eSIM?
Most handsets released since 2018 will, including iPhone XR/XS and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer — as long as it isn't network locked. Look for “Add eSIM” or “Add data plan” in your mobile settings to check.
More destinations
Where else are you going?
Other destinations travellers pair with this one.
Shubh yatra
Sort your connection tonight and forget about it. One scan now, and none of the SIM shop paperwork when you land.