India eSIM

Stay connected across India. Install before you fly.

Activation

Instant on arrival

Network

LTE via Vodafone & Jio

Hotspot

Plan dependent

Refund

If it doesn't activate

Skip the EE roaming charge (GBP$5/day) in India. Work out your savings →

Choose your plan

All prices GBP

3 days

5 days

7 days

10 days

15 days

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.

Getting around

Driving in India

Worth comparing before you fly — rates move a lot by season, and booking ahead is usually cheaper than at the airport desk.

Compare car hire Free cancellation on most bookings

We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. Check what the rental desk charges for insurance before you sign — comparison sites do not set that, and it is where most car hire complaints start.

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: 5G in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Jaipur, and dependable 4G LTE across the Golden Triangle, Goa, Kerala's backwaters and cities, Rajasthan's main circuit, and the Himalayan foothill towns including Rishikesh, Manali and Darjeeling. 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.

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
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 5G 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.
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 speeds noticeably even on 5G.

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. 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 on your home WiFi

iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → Add eSIM → scan the QR code from your email. Android: Settings → Connections → SIM Manager → Add eSIM. Takes about two minutes.

Land in India

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. 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.

Keep your home SIM for calls

Leave your home SIM in. Set the India eSIM as your data line only. Your number stays active the whole trip.

Good to know

A few details before you buy.

Calls and SMS

Most plans are data only — use WhatsApp or FaceTime for free. Look for the phone chip plan if you need a local number.

Compatibility

Your phone must be eSIM compatible and network-unlocked. Check yours →

Refunds

If your eSIM doesn’t activate, we’ll replace it free or refund you in full.

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 5G across the major metros and 4G LTE across the main tourist circuits, which is the strongest routing available in the country.

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.

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 — 5G 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.

Still deciding? See India plans from £2.38

Asia regional plan

Visiting more than just India?

One Asia eSIM covers multiple countries. Buy once and stay connected across the whole region.

20 GB · 30 days £20.61 683 MB/day

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