India eSIM
Stay connected across India. Install before you fly.
- 4G on VI India
- Instant on arrival
- Refund if it doesn’t activate
Choose your plan
All prices AUD7 days
15 days
30 days
Good to know
Calls and texts
India plans are data only. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime for calls.
Your phone
It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked. Check your phone
Refunds
If your eSIM doesn't activate, we'll replace it free or refund you in full.
India eSIM plans at a glance
Cheapest
1 GB for 7 days, $4.50
Best value
10 GB for 30 days, $24, about $2.40 a gigabyte
Unlimited
From $20.50. Cheapest per day is 10 days at $4.60 a day
Network coverage in India
Your Travelren India eSIM roams on Jio, the country's largest network by subscribers and the one with the widest 5G rollout. Coverage across the places travellers actually go is strong: dependable 4G LTE in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Jaipur, and across the Golden Triangle, Goa, Kerala's backwaters and cities, Rajasthan's main circuit, and the Himalayan foothill towns including Rishikesh, Manali and Darjeeling.
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Airports and the Delhi and Mumbai metro systems are well covered. India is vast, so gaps exist — high Himalayan routes around Ladakh and Spiti, deep rural stretches between towns, and some national parks and tiger reserves drop to weak 4G or nothing. Speeds in metros are genuinely fast, frequently above 100 Mbps on 5G.
- Networks
- VI India
- Speeds
- 4G
- Telstra roaming
- $10 a day
What works in India
Works well
- Uber and Ola for city transport, plus Rapido for two-wheeler trips in congested cities
- Google Maps, which is essential and heavily used across Indian cities
- WhatsApp — the default communication channel for hotels, drivers, guides and most businesses
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- IRCTC and Zomato or Swiggy for trains and food delivery
- Google Pay and PhonePe, which run on UPI and are accepted almost everywhere, though UPI usually needs an Indian bank account
- Cloud photo backup over 4G LTE from the Taj Mahal, Jaipur and the Kerala backwaters
- Hotspotting a laptop — most Travelren India plans allow tethering
Watch out for
- High Himalayan routes — Ladakh, Spiti, the higher Uttarakhand passes — have long stretches with no signal on any network. Plan offline.
- Rural gaps between towns and inside some national parks and tiger reserves drop to weak 4G or nothing.
- Data-only. No local voice calls or SMS on the eSIM line, which matters more here because drivers frequently call rather than message. Keep your home SIM active.
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- No Indian phone number, so UPI payment apps that require an Indian SIM for verification will not activate. Cards and cash still work everywhere tourists go.
- Network congestion in dense urban areas at peak times can slow 4G LTE speeds noticeably.
Arriving in India
Delhi and Mumbai airports have free WiFi but it requires an OTP to a phone number, which is exactly the thing you may not have working yet — landing with an eSIM already installed sidesteps that entirely. Uber and Ola are reliable in cities and remove the fare negotiation that catches visitors out.
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Prepaid taxi counters at airports are the safe alternative. Getting cash is easy at ATMs, and cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, though smaller places and markets are cash or UPI only. WhatsApp is how almost everyone communicates, including drivers and guesthouses, so keep it available. Trains book out well in advance and IRCTC is the official channel. English is widely spoken across tourist areas and business settings.
Installing your India eSIM
Install before you fly, over your home WiFi — the QR code arrives by email as soon as you buy, and installing does not start the plan. On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, then Add eSIM and scan. On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then Add eSIM.
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Label it "Travelren IN" so it is clear beside your home line. Leave the Travelren line off until you land, keep your home SIM as default for calls and texts, then enable data roaming on the Travelren line only and set it as your data line. Installing before departure matters more in India than most places, because airport WiFi generally needs an OTP to a working number.
Common questions
Why not just buy an Indian SIM when I arrive?
You can, but it is genuinely slow. Indian prepaid SIMs require in-person KYC with your passport, visa, a photograph and a local address, and tourist SIM activation commonly takes several hours and sometimes a full day. An eSIM you installed before flying works the moment you land. This is the single biggest practical reason travellers choose an eSIM for India specifically.
Which network will I be on in India?
Your Travelren India eSIM roams on Jio, India's largest operator by subscriber numbers and the one with the broadest 5G coverage. Your phone connects automatically. Jio gives you 4G LTE across the major metros and the main tourist circuits.
Will UPI and Google Pay work?
Not for payments. UPI apps generally require an Indian bank account and an Indian SIM for verification, and a travel eSIM gives you neither. You will be relying on cards and cash, which work fine in hotels, restaurants and larger shops. Markets, autorickshaws and small vendors are cash or UPI, so carry rupees.
Will I have signal in Ladakh or the Himalayas?
Often not. High Himalayan routes through Ladakh, Spiti and the higher Uttarakhand passes have long stretches with no coverage from any operator, and some areas restrict roaming SIMs entirely for security reasons. Treat those legs as offline: download maps and route notes in advance and tell someone your plan before you set out.
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How much data do I need for an India trip?
Maps and ride-hailing are the constant draw. A week around the Golden Triangle with maps, Uber and WhatsApp is comfortable on 3GB. Two or three weeks covering Rajasthan, Goa or Kerala suits 5GB to 10GB. If you are hotspotting a laptop or uploading a lot of photos and video, size up — 4G LTE in the metros is fast enough to spend data quickly.
Will it work as soon as I land in Delhi or Mumbai?
Yes, if you installed the eSIM before flying. Install over your home WiFi, leave the line off, then enable data roaming on the Travelren line after landing. Both airports have strong coverage. This is especially useful in India because airport WiFi typically requires an OTP sent to a phone number, which is awkward before you have working service.
Do drivers need to call me?
Often, yes — Uber and Ola drivers in India frequently call rather than message, particularly when a pickup point is unclear. The eSIM is data-only with no Indian number, so keep your home SIM active for incoming calls, or rely on the in-app chat and masked calling, which both work over data.
Can I make phone calls with it?
Not on the eSIM line — Travelren India plans are data-only, with no local number, voice or SMS. Use WhatsApp, which is the default in India and what hotels, guides and drivers will expect anyway. Keep your home SIM active alongside it if you need to receive SMS verification codes from your bank.
Asia regional plan
Visiting more than just India?
One Asia eSIM covers India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, plus 15 other countries.
$59
Not flying yet?
Tell us when you go and we’ll email you a reminder to set up your India eSIM three days before you fly. One email. That’s it.