An eSIM bought before departure gets you online the moment you land with no paperwork - but gives you no Indian number, and Uber and Ola need one for the OTP. A local SIM is a fraction of the price and needs your passport, visa, an Indian address and a photo taken at the counter, then hours to activate.
- Land connected. Without data you cannot use ride-hailing, maps or a translator, which in India is closer to a safety question than a convenience one.
- An international eSIM needs no documents at all and works the moment you land. Saily India: 5 GB/30 days for 13.99 USD, 10 GB for 23.99, or a 10-day day-capped plan for 44.99.
- The catch: Saily's India plans carry no phone number and no SMS. Uber and Ola send a one-time password to an Indian number at sign-in.
- A local SIM is far cheaper - Jio's entry travel plan is 299 INR, Airtel's 349 INR, both about 1.5 GB a day for 28 days.
- Registration needs the original passport, a printed visa copy, an Indian address and a photo taken at the counter.
- Activation takes hours, not minutes - commonly the network appears within a few hours and data the following morning. It will not solve your first evening.
- Buy at an airport kiosk or an official Airtel, Jio or Vi store. Small street phone shops routinely enter foreigners' details wrongly and leave the card dead.
Two routes, and they solve different problems
- An international data eSIM bought before departure. Saily sells data-only profiles with no identity check, no passport scan and no Indian approval process. Install by QR code at home; it activates when the plane lands and the phone finds the partner network. You skip the queue entirely and can order a car before you leave the terminal. The limitation is real: Saily's India plans include no phone number and no SMS. Uber and Ola both send a one-time password to an Indian mobile number at sign-in, so a data-only eSIM does not get you into either app.
- A local prepaid SIM. Much cheaper, gives you an Indian number, and costs you paperwork and time.
Saily plans for India
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed data | 1 GB | 7 days | 3.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 3 GB | 30 days | 9.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 5 GB | 30 days | 13.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 10 GB | 30 days | 23.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 20 GB | 30 days | 38.99 USD |
| Day-capped | 3 GB/day, then reduced | 10 days | 44.99 USD |
Local operators
| Operator | Typical travel plan | Price | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reliance Jio | entry travel plan | 299 INR | about 1.5 GB/day for 28 days |
| Airtel | standard prepaid | 349 INR | about 1.5 GB/day for 28 days |
| Vodafone Idea (Vi) | tourist pack | around 349 INR | about 2 GB/day for 28 days |
Airport kiosks charge more than a city store for the same thing - you are paying for being able to do it on arrival.
What registration takes
- The original passport, a printed copy of your visa, an address in India (your hotel booking is fine), and a photo taken at the counter.
- Then you wait. Activation is not instant: the network typically appears within a few hours and data often only the following morning. Plan your first evening as though you have no local SIM, because you probably will not.
- Use an airport kiosk or an official Airtel, Jio or Vi store. Small independent phone shops handle foreigners' registrations badly and often submit the immigration details wrongly, which leaves the card permanently unactivated and you with no recourse.
- A physical SIM cannot easily be converted to an eSIM profile - it means a branch visit and a further wait, so it is not worth attempting on a short trip.
Short verdict
- For the first day or two: the eSIM, bought before you fly. It costs more per gigabyte and buys you a working phone from the moment you land.
- Staying more than a couple of weeks: add a local SIM from an official store in the city, both for the price and for the Indian number the apps want.
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