Compare the Best Travel eSIMs for India
Prepaid data eSIMs for visitors to India, every plan ranked by real price per GB. This is not a India contract or a local SIM. Updated daily.
The 3 best India eSIMs right now
Nomad✓ Verified partner
GigSky✓ Verified partner
Ubigi✓ Verified partner
What India data actually costs
India travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.
The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days
| Data | Cheapest provider | Total | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | Nomad | $43 | $0.86/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 25 GB | Ubigi | $29 | $1.16/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 20 GB | Sim Local | $28.50 | $1.43/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| 10 GB | Ubigi | $15 | $1.50/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 5 GB | Sim Local | $11 | $2.20/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| 1 GB | Yesim | $3.58 | $3.58/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Cost per GB rises from $0.86/GB at 50 GB to $3.58/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.
The "unlimited" trap
The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.
| Provider | Unlimited, 30 days | Fair-use cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | $49.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Ubigi | $66 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| GigSky | $80.49 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| Yesim | $83.70 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
| Saily | $98.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
| Airalo | $99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
Unlimited 30 day plans run from $49.99 to $99, a spread of about 98 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.
Do not overpay for coverage you will not use
If your whole trip is in India, a India only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a Asia or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (Airalo), same 20 GB, 30 days:
| Airalo plan | Price | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| India only | $36.50 | $1.82/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| Asia | $38 | $1.90/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| Global | $66 | $3.30/GB | Get plan ↗ |
A India only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.
Which network does your India eSIM use?
This is the question that decides your real signal, and almost no comparison site answers it. Your travel eSIM connects to one or more local networks as a visitor, and that choice matters the moment you leave the big cities, because rural coverage varies a lot between them.
| Provider | Host network | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Reliance Jio | Confirmed |
| GigSky | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Ubigi | Reliance Jio | Confirmed |
| Nomad | Bharti Airtel | Confirmed |
| Saily | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Yesim | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
Three of the six name their Indian host: Airalo and Ubigi both run on Reliance Jio, and Nomad runs on Bharti Airtel; GigSky, Saily, and Yesim do not publicly name their Indian carrier, so those rows stay unconfirmed.
Coverage by where you are going
- Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have the widest national reach and both operate large 5G networks after launching the technology in 2022.
- Metros including Delhi and Mumbai have strong 5G, and most tourist cities such as Jaipur, Agra, Goa, and Bangalore have reliable 4G or 5G.
- Airalo and Ubigi route through Jio, while Nomad routes through Airtel, so device support for those bands matters.
- Rural districts, hill stations, and Himalayan regions often drop to 4G or weaker signal.
- Border zones near Pakistan and China can face connectivity restrictions and occasional internet shutdowns.
- State-owned BSNL trails the private carriers on speed and 5G availability.
Travel eSIM vs a local India SIM
A travel eSIM is installed by scanning a QR code before you leave home, then activates when you land, with no paperwork at the airport. Airalo and Ubigi plans use Reliance Jio and Nomad uses Bharti Airtel, the same networks a local SIM would give you, and prices are pitched close to local rates. You keep your home number active on your primary SIM for calls and one-time passwords.
A local Indian prepaid SIM from Airtel or Jio is cheaper per gigabyte, but buying one as a foreign visitor requires in-person registration with your passport, visa, and a passport photo. Activation is not instant, and tourist SIMs can take several hours or up to a day to switch on because of mandatory verification. India also has very few MVNOs, so there is little budget alternative to the four main carriers.
Quick rule: Use a travel eSIM for a trip of a few weeks or less; consider a local SIM only for longer stays where the registration wait and lower per-GB cost pay off.
India's networks are Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea) and state-owned BSNL, and foreign visitors must show a passport, visa, and photo in person to register a local SIM, which can take hours to activate.
How a India travel eSIM works
A travel eSIM replaces expensive roaming with a cheap local data plan you activate in seconds. There is no plastic SIM and no airport queue. Roaming with your home carrier can run 6 to 12 dollars a day, so a week easily tops 50 to 80 dollars for service you already pay for at home.
Three things to get right:
- Check your phone supports eSIM before you buy.
- Install the eSIM at home over WiFi, but wait to activate it until you land, because the validity period usually starts on activation.
- Keep your physical SIM in the phone for calls and texts on your normal number.
How we rank India eSIMs
Every plan on this page is sorted by real price per GB (total price divided by included data, normalised to USD), so a cheap-looking 1 GB plan cannot outrank a better-value 10 GB one. We refresh prices daily and only list providers with a track record of activating on arrival. We earn a small affiliate commission when you buy through our links. It funds the price tracking and never changes the order you see.
India travel eSIM FAQ
Which network will my eSIM use in India?
It depends on the provider. Airalo and Ubigi both connect through Reliance Jio, and Nomad connects through Bharti Airtel, according to their own published information. GigSky, Saily, and Yesim do not publicly name their Indian carrier.
Do I need to register or show my passport for a travel eSIM?
No. Unlike a local Indian SIM, a travel eSIM needs no in-person registration, passport check, or photo. You buy it online, scan a QR code, and it activates when you arrive, which avoids the hours-long wait that tourist SIMs can involve.
Is 5G available on these eSIMs?
Jio and Airtel both run wide 5G networks that reached thousands of towns by 2024, so 5G is common in metros and larger cities. Actual 5G access depends on your plan and phone, and some eSIM plans are capped at 4G or LTE. Check the specific plan details before buying.
Are the unlimited plans really unlimited?
Not at full speed. Airalo and Saily give 3 GB per day before throttling to about 1 Mbps, Nomad gives 2 GB per day, and Ubigi gives 60 GB across a 30-day plan before dropping to 2 Mbps. After the cap you can still message and browse lightly, but video and large downloads slow down.
Will my eSIM work in remote or border areas?
Coverage is strong in cities but thins out in rural districts, hill stations, and the Himalayas, where signal can drop to 4G or nothing. Areas near the Pakistan and China borders can face connectivity restrictions and occasional internet shutdowns. Download offline maps before heading to these regions.
Can I make regular phone calls with these eSIMs?
These are data-only eSIMs, so they do not include an Indian phone number or standard call and SMS service. You can make voice and video calls over the data connection using WhatsApp, Telegram, or similar apps. Keep your home SIM active if you need to receive one-time passwords by text.