India: 3 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

India – derived from the River Indus, is the second-most populated country in the world. By landmass, it is the 7th-largest country in the world.

India does not need an introduction – everyone knows something about this country.

Known for being the largest democracy in the world, having the most tigers in a country worldwide, a big fan of cricket, and home to plenty of official languages.

And let's not forget about the attractions this country has to offer. Of course, the Taj Mahal. The famous Ranthambore, and the Amber Palace.

You could visit the busy cities (sometimes a bit too busy) or the stunning nature in the countryside.

One thing an Indian friend of mine said, which I found funny, is that no matter where you are, even in the middle of the desert, there will always be people around. There is no reason to feel lonely in India ;)

Normally, I made a quick remark about international roaming being expensive in general.

However, India is home to one of the lowest, if not the lowest, mobile data rates in the world. And the Indian operators have another gift for you.

You can get a free Indian SIM card from Jio, Airtel & VI (Vodafone Idea) in their stores. However, you will be required to top-up or buy a plan when obtaining your complimentary SIM card (could be up to 300 INR – 4 USD). 1 GB of data will cost you at least 11 INR (0.15 USD).

Free SIM cards AND spending less than a quarter on 1 GB of data – quite unheard of!

But before you go out and try to get your free Indian SIM card, there are many things to be aware of when trying to get SIM cards in India – it can be time-consuming, especially for tourists and travelers.

In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in India. Let's go.

Original publication: 31st of December 2019. Last updated: 15th of March 2023.

Table of Contents

Can You Buy a SIM Card in India?

Anyone living in or visiting India can buy/get an Indian SIM card from Jio, Airtel, or VI (Vodafone Idea) in their stores without any restrictions.

You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.

• Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)

Moreover, you need a phone that supports the frequencies used in the country (preferably all of them to have the most optimal experience while in India).

Furthermore, you need to have a SIM-lock-free device.

Be aware that SIM cards of foreigners without a residence permit are valid until your Visa ceases or for 90 days, depending on the policy of the branch you visit.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in India?

You can get your free Indian SIM card in the official stores of Jio, Airtel & VI (Vodafone Idea). BSNL sells them for up to 50 INR, depending on the type of SIM card you need. It is also possible to get SIM cards at select international airports, including Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport & Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

You can buy a SIM card in the following international airports:

• Bengaluru – Kempegowda International Airport
• Chennai – Chennai International Airport
• Delhi – Indira Gandhi International Airport
• Goa – Goa International Airport
• Mumbai – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

You can expect to pay the following for Indian SIM cards:

• Jio: free, but (select) plan purchase/recharge required
• Airtel India: free, but (select) plan purchase/recharge required
• VI (Vodafone Idea): free, but (select) plan purchase/recharge required
• BSNL (+MTNL): 10 INR to 50 INR

For up-to-date IND:your currency (let's say USD) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

• Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)

Can You Use Your Phone in India?

India uses GSM technology for mobile communications. CDMA is used by a handful of regional operators with poor nationwide coverage. Even then, CDMA phones do not have SIM card slots, so you would be able to use CDMA networks without roaming on them. If your phone has a SIM card slot, then it supports GSMA (99% of the phones do support GSM nowadays).

Traditional European frequencies are used in India, which are mostly used in ITU Regions 1 & 3 (Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania).

The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2) use American Frequencies, which differ from the European ones.

If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in India.

If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, then you should go with Jio. One of its frequencies, 850 MHz (Band 5) is a traditional American Frequency. However, speeds on this low frequency are slow(er than usual) due to the nature of the frequency. Do note that Jio has no 2G nor 3G networks to fall back on when there is no 4G/LTE coverage on 850 MHz.

If you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you can use your phone in India (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE.

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in India

India has four mobile network operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

• Jio
• Airtel India
• VI (Vodafone Idea)
• BSNL (+MTNL)

The following frequencies are used in India:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 2100 MHz (being reframed for 4G/LTE)
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 850 MHz (Band 5), 900 MHz (Band 8), 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 MHz (Band 1), 2300 MHz (Band 40) & 2500 MHz (Band 41)

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in India, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.

A Note about BSNL & MTNL

BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) is a government-owned mobile network operator. It is active in all regions in India, except for Mumbai and Dehli.

MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited – also government-owned), however, is only active in Mumbai and Dehli. Although being the smallest operator in the country, they still have more than 100 million subscribers.

BSNL has been rolling out 4G/LTE for a while. However, it is inferior compared to the private players in the country. MTNL only offers 2G and 3G packages.

Suppose you are not interested in data use, or do not mind even slower mobile internet speeds in India. In that case, both BSNL and MTNL could be interesting, as they are the cheapest operators in the country.

For the majority of travelers, the price difference between the government-owned operators and the privately-owned ones will be minimal. With the lack of proper nationwide 4G/LTE coverage, speeds with BSNL and MTNL will be even slower than the already slow speeds in India. As a result, they will not be covered in this guide.

However, you can learn more about BSNL and MTNL on their websites (BSNL/MTNL New Dehli & MTNL Mumbai).

5G NR in India

Commercial 5G NR is not available in India yet in 2022. However, it is supposed to launch later this year.

Best SIM Card in India

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Best eSIM in India

Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM (to prepaid customers) in India yet.

However, you can get travel eSIMs from Airalo, Holafly & Nomad.

Airalo has the Indicomm eSIMs:

You have four options:

1. India/Indicomm 1 GB eSIM for 7 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. India/Indicomm 3 GB eSIM for 30 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. India/Indicomm 3 GB eSIM for 30 days (new)
4. India/Indicomm 3 GB eSIM for 30 days (new)

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in March based on data up to the 13^th of March (2023 data only)

The Airalo links above will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

For an in-depth analysis of the India Indicom eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my India eSIMs Compared guide.

You can also get India eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps) and get 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off (even on top of current promotions)!

For an in-depth analysis of the Nomad India eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my India eSIMs Compared guide.

• Check out my Nomad reviews

Finally, you can get India eSIMs from Holafly:

• India 6 GB eSIM for 15 days

Use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for exclusive deals when getting Holafly eSIMs, AND get an additional 5% off!

For an in-depth analysis of the Holafly India eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my India eSIMs Compared guide.

With these eSIMs, you can skip India's SIM card registration scheme entirely and use it immediately upon arriving in India!

I will talk about the SIM card registration requirements in two chapters. Honestly, it is a hassle. You may be better off just using one of the recommended eSIMs above or the travel SIM cards mentioned in the next chapter

TIP: check out my Best India eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for India, including ones not mentioned above.

TIP: Check out my eSIM lookup tool for an overview of local mobile operators offering eSIMs to prepaid customers and travel eSIMs I use and love (for eSIMs in India and eSIMs worldwide) and my Best India eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparion of several eSIMs for India

Best International/Travel SIM Card for India

If you want to buy the best international/travel SIM card for India, I recommend going with SimCorner's India SIM cards. Consider SimCorner's Asia SIM cards to be used in India and 20+ countries, including neighboring Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka.

You have the following two India Travel SIM cards:

1. India Travel SIM Card with 6 GB for 8 days
2. India Travel SIM Card with 6 GB for 15 days (new: also available as an eSIM)

You have these two Asia SIM cards:

1. Asia SIM card with 6 GB for 8 days in 30 countries
2. Asia SIM card with 6 GB for 15 days in 20+ countries (new: also available as an eSIM)

The SimCorner Asia SIM cards can be used in India and the following other countries:

¹ for the 8 day version only
² for the 15 days version only
³ only 500 MB in Thailand – better get the SimCorner Thailand Travel SIM Cards instead

You can also get the SimCorner International Travel SIM card (new: also available as an eSIM) 6 GB of data valid for 15 days to be used in India and 100+ countries, including most of the ones mentioned above (Asia) and in the Americas, Europe & Oceania:

Instead of spending between 5 USD to 15 USD for SIM cards in each country, get a SimCorner travel SIM card covering numerous countries for just one price!

Use discount code PHONETRAVELWIZ for extra savings!

SIM Card Registration in India

SIM card registration with your passport information is mandatory in India. It will be done at the point of purchase.

Moreover, you also have to bring a passport-sized photo with you when getting your SIM card. Many stores will have the equipment to take a picture of you, especially at airports. Still, it is good practice to bring a photograph yourself.

Furthermore, proof of stay is also part of the SIM card registration process. If you are staying in a hotel, a visiting card may be enough. However, some branches may ask for a letter from the front desk staff for verification.

If you are staying at a private residence (friend, family, or Airbnb), then you need their contact details. The salesperson may call your contact as part of the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

Finally, proof of address (in your home country/the country you live in) is mandatory as well. If your passport lists your address, this will suffice. However, not all passports will have addresses listed. In that case, the employee will guide you through what proof will suffice to satisfy this requirement.

In the past, it could take a few days before your new SIM card would be activated after processing all the paperwork. Nowadays, SIM cards are active after few minutes up to an hour. But be prepared not to be able to use your SIM card for 24 hours.

SIM card registration at airports is less tedious and time-consuming. However, SIM cards (+ a plan because SIM cards are free in India) are sold at a hefty premium at airports. Where you can get a SIM card with (select starter) plans for up to 200 INR (2.65 USD), the same offer may cost you 1000 INR at airports (13.25 USD).

Although inflated, it may be more convenient to purchase your SIM card at an airport. The staff at airports always speak English fluently enough to get your SIM card paperwork sorted, while it can be a hit or miss in town. Moreover, SIM cards registered at airports are registered faster than most other branches.

Plus, when comparing the inflated airport prices to SIM cards sold globally, the costs are not too outrageous, especially for SIM cards sold at airports.

Do never, under any circumstance, accept a SIM card without going to a registration process or pay a fee to skip the process. Not only is this illegal, but your SIM card could be shut down at any time, making it a waste of money.

India Mobile Speeds, Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

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Currency in India

India uses the Indian Rupee with the symbol INR (which will be used throughout this guide).

However, prices are often listed in ₹. In the past, Rs was also used. For example, 25 INR = ₹25.

For reference, below are some exchange rates between INR and USD (US Dollars):

• 1 INR = 0.01 USD
• 10 INR = 0.10 USD
• 100 INR = 1.20 USD
• 1000 INR = 12.10 USD
• 10 000 INR = 120.85 USD

For up-to-date INR:your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Indian Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Jio, Airtel India & VI (Vodafone Idea), and go through:

• Background information
• Mobile coverage
• SIM card types, prices, and availability
• Recharge/top-up information
• Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs) 

With that being said, let’s see what India has to offer to us.

Jio

Reliance Jio Infocomm, just Jio, is the largest mobile operator in India. When it entered the market in late 2015 as a 4G/LTE-only mobile operator, its goal was to disrupt the Indian telecom market.

With an aggressive pricing strategy, which led to a price war, significant investments in infrastructure, leading it to be the operator with the most towers, and getting rid of Indian national roaming, it quickly became the most prominent player. So much so that Vodafone India and Idea had to merge into one company to stay competitive.

You could say that Jio's goal to disrupt the Indian telecom market succeeded. It is now the third-largest mobile operator in the world (420+ million subscribers).

Jio uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: N/A
• 3G: N/A
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 850 MHz (Band 5), 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2300 MHz (Band 40)

This is what you will learn about Jio:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Jio SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Jio

Jio has the best coverage in India.

Its 4G availability and 4G coverage experience are the highest of all the Indian mobile operators.

Below is Jio's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Jio

You can get a Jio SIM card for free in Jio stores. However, you will be required to purchase a plan or recharge to get your free SIM card.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for India (without personal detail capturing), you can get India Indicomm eSIMs from Airalo (two options):

• 1 GB/7 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 3 GB/30 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 5 GB/30 days
• 10 GB/30 days

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in March based on data up to the 13^th of March (2023 data only)

No idea what or who Airalo is? Check out my Airalo review, where I share my hands-on experience after using its eSIMs in more than 25 countries over four years.

If you plan on visiting other countries in Asia and others in other regions or continents, consider the Airalo Discover Global eSIM to be used in 85+ countries worldwide with five variants:

• 1 GB/7 days
• 3 GB/15 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 5 GB/30 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 10 GB/60 days
• 20 GB/180 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in March based on data up to the 13^th of March (2023 data only)

Do you think the map above is nice, but you want a country list instead (because you do not recognize the countries on a map🗿)? You can find it in my Airalo review!

• Be sure to check out my Airalo Discover Global eSIM review for my insights!

Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in India.

You can read about them in my Best India eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Jio

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Jio

Jio has nine data-featured prepaid plans:

• Jio Freedom Plans (combo)
• 1 GB/Day Pack (combo)
• 1.5 GB/Day Packs (combo)
• 2 GB/Day Packs (combo)
• 3 GB/Day Packs (combo)
• No Daily Limit (combo)
• Prepaid Recharge Plans (combo)
• Value Pack (data)
• JioPhone Data ADD ON (data add on)

I will list all the prices in INR (Indian Rupee).

To convert INR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

All Jio plans can be activated on the MyJio app or online.

Moreover, all plans allow you to continue using data after exhausting your data allowance. However, your speeds will be throttled to 64 Kbps.

Jio Freedom Plans – Jio

The Jio Freedom Plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), unlimited local minutes, and SMS (max. 100 SMS/day).

You can activate one of the following Jio Freedom plans:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
296 INR	25 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3000 SMS)	30 days

1 GB/Day Pack – Jio

The 1 GB/day Pack gives you 1 GB of data (without 5G NR access) per day for 24 days (maximum of 24 GB), unlimited local minutes, and 100 SMS/day.

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
149 INR	1 GB/day (24 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2100 SMS)	21 days
179 INR	1 GB/day (24 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	24 days
209 INR	1 GB/day (28 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days

1.5 GB/Day Packs – Jio

The 1.5 GB/day Packs are combo plans with 1.5 GB of data (without 5G NR access) per day, unlimited local minutes, and 100 SMS/day.

You have the following options:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
199 INR	1.5 GB/day (21 GB)	Unlimited	300 SMS	14 days
199 INR	1.5 GB/day (34.5 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	23 days
239 INR	1.5 GB/day (42 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (784 SMS)	28 days
259 INR	1.5 GB/day (45 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3000 SMS)	30 days
479 INR	1.5 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
666 INR	1.5 GB/day (126 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
2545 INR	1.5 GB/day (504 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (33 600 SMS SMS)	336 days

2 GB/Day Packs – Jio

The 2 GB/day Packs are combo plans with 2 GB of data (without 5G NR access) per day, unlimited local minutes, and 100 SMS/day.

These are your options:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
249 INR	2 GB/day (46 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2300 SMS)	23 days
299 INR	2 GB/day (56 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
533 INR	2 GB/day (112 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
719 INR	2 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
2879 INR	2 GB/day (730 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days

3 GB/Day Packs – Jio

The 3 GB/day Packs are combo plans with 3 GB of data (without 5G NR access) per day, unlimited local minutes, and 100 SMS/day.

The following 3 GB/day Packs are available:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
419 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
1199 INR	3 GB/day (252 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days

Prepaid Recharge Plans – Jio

The Prepaid Recharge Plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
75 INR	100 MB/day (2.5 GB)	Unlimited	50 SMS	23 days
91 INR	100 MB/day (3 GB)	Unlimited	50 SMS	28 days
125 INR	0.5GB/day (11.5 GB)	Unlimited	300 SMS	23 days
152 INR	0.5 GB/day (14 GB)	Unlimited	300 SMS	28 days
186 INR	1 GB/day (28 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
222 INR	2 GB/day (56 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
895 INR	2 GB/day (24 GB)	Unlimited	50 SMS/28 days	336 days

No Daily Limit – Jio

The No Daily Limit plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access) allowances that can be used however you want (without a daily limit), unlimited local minutes, and 100 SMS/day.

You can activate one of the following No Daily Limit plans:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
296 INR	25 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3000 SMS)	30 days

Value Pack – Jio

The Value Pack are data only plans (without 5G NR access).

Price	Data	Validity
155 INR	2 GB	28 days
395 INR	6 GB	84 days
1559 INR	24 GB	366 days

JioPhone Data Add ON – Jio

The JioPhone Data Add ONs are, as the name implies, data add-ons. They cannot be purchased as standalone plans.

You can activate these JioPhone Data Add ON:

Price	Data	Validity
25 INR	2 GB	28 days
62 INR	6 GB	28 days
86 INR	0.5 GB/day (14 GB)	28 days
112 INR	1 GB/day (28 GB)	28 days
182 INR	2 GB/day (56 GB)	28 days

APN/Internet Settings – Jio

• Name: JioNet
• APN: JioNet

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

Airtel India

Bharti Airtel, just Airtel, is India's second-largest mobile operator. It has been a player in the Indian telecom market for more than 25 years.

Its first international venture was in Sri Lanka (Airtel Lanka).

Now, Airtel is active in 19 countries in South Asia, Africa, Jersey & Guernsey in Europe.

With all its subsidiaries, Bharti Airtel is the second-largest mobile operator in the world (440+ million subscribers).

Airtel uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: Shut down in 2020 for 4G/LTE refarming
• 4G/LTE: 900 Mhz (Band 8), 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 MHz (Band 1) & 2300 MHz (Band 40)

This is what you will learn about Airtel:

* Coverage
* How to Get an Airtel SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Airtel India

Airtel has extensive coverage throughout India.

Its 4G availability is high, so is its 4G coverage experience. Airtel is the best mobile operator for video calls, voice calls through apps (VoIP), and online gaming.

Below is Airtel's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Airtel India

You can get an Airtel SIM card for free in Airtel stores. However, you will be required to purchase a plan or recharge to get your free SIM card.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for India (without personal detail capturing), you can get eSIMs from Holafly (one option):

• 6 GB/15 days

The best part is that you can get 5% off using code PHONETRAVELWIZ on each Holafly eSIM purchase!

No idea what or who Holafly is? Check out my Holafly review, where I share my hands-on experience after using its eSIMs in more than ten countries over two years.

If you plan on visiting other countries in Asia and others in other regions or continents, consider the Airalo Discover Global eSIM to be used in 85+ countries worldwide with five variants:

• 1 GB/7 days
• 3 GB/15 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 5 GB/30 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 10 GB/60 days
• 20 GB/180 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in March based on data up to the 13^th of March (2023 data only)

Do you think the map above is nice, but you want a country list instead (because you do not recognize the countries on a map🗿)? You can find it in my Airalo review!

• Be sure to check out my Airalo Discover Global eSIM review for my insights!

Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in India.

You can read about them in my Best India eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Airtel India

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Airtel India

Airtel has two data-featured prepaid plans:

• Truly Unlimited (combo)
• Data (data-only)

All Airtel plans can be activated on the Airtel Thanks app or online.

I will list all the prices in INR (Indian Rupee).

To convert INR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Truly Unlimited – Airtel India

The Truly Unlimited Plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access) and unlimited local minutes & SMS.

The majority of plans also give you access to Amazon Prime Video (30-day trial), Apollo 24|7 Circle (for 3 months), Airtel Xstream Premium, Hellotunes, Wynk Music, Shaw Academy (1 year).

The following Truly Unlimited Plans are available:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
155 INR	1 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	24 days
179 INR	2 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	28 days
199 INR	3 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	30 days
209 INR	1 GB/day (21 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2100 SMS)	21 days
239 INR	1 GB/day (24 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2400 SMS)	24 days
265 INR	1 GB/day (28 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
296 INR	25 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3000 SMS)	30 days
299 INR	1.5 GB/day	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3000 SMS)	30 days
319 INR	2 GB/day (62 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3100 SMS)	31 days
359 INR	2 GB/day (62 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3100 SMS)	31 days
399 INR	2.5 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
455 INR	6 GB	Unlimited	900 SMS	84 days
479 INR	1.5 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
499 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
519 INR	1.5 GB/day (90 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (6000 SMS)	60 days
549 INR	2 GB/day (112 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
666 INR	1.5 GB/day (115.5 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (7700 SMS)	77 days
699 INR	3 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
719 INR	1.5 GB/day (126 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
779 INR	1.5 GB/day (135 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (9000 SMS)	90 days
839 INR	2 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
999 INR	2.5 GB/day (210 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
1799 INR	24 GB	Unlimited	3600 SMS	365 days
2999 INR	2 GB/day (730 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days
3359 INR	2.5 GB/day (912.5 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days

Data – Airtel India

The Data Plans are, as the name implies, are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

Price	Data	Validity
19 INR	1 GB	1 day
58 INR	3 GB	N/A
65 INR	4 GB	N/A
98 INR	5 GB	N/A
118 INR	12 GB	N/A
148 INR	15 GB 1	N/A
149 INR	1 GB 1	N/A
181 INR	1 GB/day (30 GB)	30 days
301 INR	50 GB	N/A

¹ access to xtreme premium for 30 days

APN/Internet Settings – Airtel India

• Name: Airtel Internet
• APN: airtelgprs.com

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

VI (Vodafone Idea)

Vodafone Idea, known as VI, is the third-largest mobile operator in India.

It formed as a merger between Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.

The agreement of the merger was agreed back in 2018.

However, it took until Q3 2020 before the two companies became one and offered their services under one brand.

VI is the 7th largest mobile operator in the world (280+ million subscribers).

VI has the fastest mobile download and upload speed in the country.

According to Opensignal, the average mobile download speed is 11.9 Mbps, and the average mobile upload speed is 4.5 Mbps.

Speedtest reports an even higher mobile download speed of 15 Mbps.

VI uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 Mhz
• 3G: Being shut down for 4G/LTE refarming
• 4G/LTE: 900 MHz (Band 8) & 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 Mhz (Band 1), 2300 Mhz (Band 40) & 2500 MHz (Band 41)

This is what you will learn about VI:

* Coverage
* How to Get a VI SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

VI has extensive coverage throughout India.

Vi does have the worst 4G availability and 4G coverage experience of the big three players.

Below is VI's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

You can get a VI SIM card for free in VI stores. However, you will be required to purchase a plan or recharge to get your free SIM card.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Nomad without personal detail capturing, you can get eSIMs from Nomad (five options):

• 1 GB/3 days
• 3 GB/5 days
• 5 GB/10 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 10 GB/15 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 15 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

The best part is that you can get 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off using code ADU123 on your first Nomad eSIM purchase!

No idea what or who Nomad is? Check out my Nomad review, where I share my hands-on experience after using its eSIMs in more than 25 countries over two years.

If you plan on visiting other countries in Asia and others in other regions or continents, consider the Airalo Discover Global eSIM to be used in 85+ countries worldwide with five variants:

• 1 GB/7 days
• 3 GB/15 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 5 GB/30 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
• 10 GB/60 days
• 20 GB/180 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in March based on data up to the 13^th of March (2023 data only)

Do you think the map above is nice, but you want a country list instead (because you do not recognize the countries on a map🗿)? You can find it in my Airalo review!

• Be sure to check out my Airalo Discover Global eSIM review for my insights!

Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in India.

You can read about them in my Best India eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

VI top-up vouchers are sold in VI stores and other stores, including kiosks, phone stores, and grocery stores.

To top up your VI SIM card, dial *199*5# or *199# and follow the instructions.

You can tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.

Dial *111# or *199*2# to check your VI balance.

You can also use the VI to refill and check your balance (Android/iOS).

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

VI has four data-featured prepaid plans:

• Combo/Validity (combo)
• Unlimited (combo)
• Disney+ Hotstar VIP (combo)
• Data (data-only)

All VI plans can be activated on the VI app or online.

I will list all the prices in INR (Indian Rupee).

To convert INR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click on the links above to jump to the plans you are interested in.

Unlimited – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

The Unlimited Plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), unlimited local minutes, and local SMS.

The majority of plans also give you access to VI mobies and TV. Many also allow you to roll over unused workday data (Monday-Friday) to the weekend (Saturday & Sunday).

These Unlimited Plans are available:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
98 INR	200 MB	Unlimited	N/A	14 days
129 INR	200 MB	Unlimited	N/A	18 days
149 INR	1 GB	Unlimited	N/A	21 days
155 INR	1 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	24 days
179 INR	2 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	28 days
195 INR	2 GB	Unlimited	300 SMS	1 month
199 INR	1 GB/day (18 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (1800 SMS)	18 days
209 INR	4 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
219 INR	1 GB/day (21 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2100 SMS)	21 days
239 INR	1 GB/day (24 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2400 SMS)	24 days
249 INR	1.5 GB/day (31.5 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2100 SMS)	21 days
319 INR	2 GB/day (62 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3100 SMS)	31 days
327 INR	25 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (6000 SMS)	60 days
329 INR	4 GB	Unlimited	600 SMS	56 days
337 INR	28 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (3100 SMS)	31 days
409 INR	3.5 GB/day (98 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
459 INR	6 GB	Unlimited	1000 SMS	84 days
479 INR	1.5 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
499 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
537 INR	50 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (6000 SMS)	60 days
539 INR	2 GB/day (112 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (	56 days
599 INR	1.5 GB/day (105 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (7000 SMS)	70 days
601 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
666 INR	1.5 GB/day (115.5 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (7700 SMS)	77 days
699 INR	3 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (5600 SMS)	56 days
719 INR	1.5 GB/day (126 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
839 INR	2 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
901 INR	3 GB/day (210 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (7000 SMS)	70 days
949 INR	12 GB	Unlimited	1200 SMS	180 days
1066 INR	2 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
1449 INR	1.5 GB/day (270 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (18 000 SMS)	180 days
1799 INR	24 GB	Unlimited	3600 SMS	365 days
2899 INR	1.5 GB/day (547.50 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days
2999 INR	850 GB	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days
3099 INR	2 GB/day (730 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days

Disney+ Hotstar VIP – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

The Disney+ Hotstar VIP plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), sometimes unlimited data between 0:00 and 6:00 in the morning, unlimited local minutes, and local SMS. You also get 1-year access to Disney+ Hotstar.

Do note that if you are a tourist and get one of these plans, you will also get access to Disney+ Hotstar. However, you will not be able to use your subscription back home (perhaps you can if using a VPN and setting the location to India may work, but that is not something I can confirm yet).

These Disney+ Hotstar VIP options are available:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
151 INR	8 GB	Unlimited	N/A	30 days
399 INR	2.5 GB/day (70 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
499 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
601 INR	3 GB/day (84 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (2800 SMS)	28 days
901 INR	3 GB/day (210 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (7000 SMS)	70 days
1066 INR	2 GB/day (168 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (8400 SMS)	84 days
3099 INR	2 GB/day (730 GB)	Unlimited	100 SMS/day (36 500 SMS)	365 days

Combo/Validity – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

The Combo/Validity plans are combo plans with credit, data (without 5G NR access), and local minutes.

You can activate the following Combo/Validity plans:

Price	Credit	Data	Validity
99 INR	99 INR	200 MB	28 days
107 INR	107 INR	200 MB	30 days
111 INR	107 INR	200 MB	1 month
279 INR	107 INR	500 MB	28 days

Data – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

The Data Plans are data-only bundles.

You have these options:

Price	Data	Validity
19 INR	1 GB	24 hours
25 INR	1.1 GB	1 day
29 INR	2 GB	2 days
39 INR	3 GB	7 days
51 INR	1 GB	28 days
55 INR	3.3 GB	7 days
58 INR	3 GB	28 days
75 INR	6 GB	7 days
82 INR	4 GB	14 days
108 INR	8 GB	30 days
118 INR	12 GB	28 days
151 INR	8 GB	30 days
298 INR	50 GB	28 days
418 INR	100 GB	56 days
698 INR	10 GB	28 days
999 INR	50 GB	365 days

¹ 1 year of Disney+ & Hotstar VIP
² 1 year of Zee5 Premium

APN/Internet Settings – VI (Vodafone Idea India)

• Name: VI
• APN: www

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in India

Getting a SIM card from Jio would do you well when considering an Indian SIM card.