Travel eSIM
India eSIM
Updated 7 November 2026 · prices refresh daily from live plans · How our prices compare
India eSIMUpdated 7 November 2026 · prices refresh daily from live plans · How our prices compare
Slashtel India eSIMs start at $2.79 for 1GB over 7 days, across 12 plans. The lowest price per GB is $1.64 on the 20GB plan. A one-week trip costs from $2.79 (1GB). It connects to Airtel, Jio and Vi on up to 5G. It is data only: your own number stays active for calls, SMS and bank codes. The QR code arrives by email within minutes; install it on Wi-Fi before you fly and the days start when it first connects in India. Prices checked 7 November 2026.
Networks you connect to in India
Network selection is automatic: your phone picks the strongest signal. Coverage in India →
This is a new eSIM data line for your phone, not credit for an existing Airtel, Jio or Vi number. To add credit to a India number, use Top up an India number.
| Network | Type |
|---|---|
| Airtel | 5G |
| Jio | 4G |
| Vi | 4G |
The eSIM picks the strongest network automatically. All networks →
For your trip to India, you can buy a data-only eSIM that works on arrival and across India. Install it before your flight, and it starts when it first connects in India. Plans range from 1 GB to 20 GB, valid for 7 to 30 days, from USD 2.79.
| Price (USD) | Data | Valid for | Per GB | Networks | Hotspot | 5G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.79 | 1 GB | 7 days | $2.79 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $5.29 | 1 GB | 7 days | $5.29 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $6.29 | 2 GB | 15 days | $3.15 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $6.89 | 3 GB | 15 days | $2.30 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $12.69 | 3 GB | 15 days | $4.23 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $6.99 | 3 GB | 30 days | $2.33 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $13.49 | 3 GB | 30 days | $4.50 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $9.99 | 5 GB | 30 days | $2.00 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $20.59 | 5 GB | 30 days | $4.12 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $20.19 | 10 GB | 30 days | $2.02 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $36.99 | 10 GB | 30 days | $3.70 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
| $32.79 | 20 GB | 30 days | $1.64 | Airtel, Jio or Vi | Yes | Yes, where available |
Prices checked 7 November 2026, all-in, no roaming charges. Networks and 5G are from our supplier's network list for India; the eSIM joins the strongest one automatically and speed depends on local coverage. Data only: no phone number, calls or SMS.
Scan the QR code from your email at home on Wi-Fi (iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM; Android: Settings, SIMs, Add eSIM), use the eSIM for mobile data and keep your usual SIM for calls and texts. When you land in India, turn on data roaming for the eSIM. Step-by-step guide with screenshots · Check your phone supports eSIM
The eSIM gives you data from landing and leaves your own SIM in place, so your usual number still gets calls, SMS and bank codes. While you plan the trip, you can also top up family numbers in India and watch fares home.
It runs on India's national mobile networks, so the same plan works right across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Bangalore. There is nothing extra to buy for a city or island.
Money, getting around and the apps you'll need. Facts checked 2026-10.
Cards common in cities; carry some cash.
Mumbai Metro (Line 3 Aqua, fully underground) · metro · Mumbai
Delhi Metro Airport Express Line · metro · Delhi
Sources: inc42.com · freepressjournal.in
Partner links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Trip | Cheapest plan | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| One week | 1GB / 7 days | $2.79 | $2.79 |
| Two weeks | 2GB / 15 days | $6.29 | $3.15 |
| One month | 3GB / 30 days | $6.99 | $2.33 |
Live catalogue prices checked 7 November 2026. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects in India.
Last checked: October 2026
An India eSIM gives you mobile data from $2.79 without a local SIM card. It is data only, works on 5G across Airtel, Jio and Vi, and the network is chosen automatically. Buy a plan before you fly, install it on your phone, and you have data on arrival in Delhi, Mumbai, Goa or Jaipur.
What matters is simple: a plan that covers the main Indian networks, carries enough data for your trip, stays valid for your whole stay, supports hotspot and installs before you travel. If you are asking which is the best eSIM for India for your trip, check these five points against your plans.
Coverage comes first. The eSIM should connect to the main networks, which in India are Airtel, Jio and Vi. Your phone picks the network automatically when you arrive, so you do not need to choose or configure anything.
Data comes second. Match the size to the length of the trip and how much you use maps, messaging and video. A short city visit needs far less than a month of remote work.
Validity comes third. The plan runs for 7, 15 or 30 days. Pick a duration that covers your whole stay so the data does not expire while you still need it.
Hotspot matters if you carry a laptop or travel with someone else. You can share your India data with other devices.
Finally, install before you fly. Add the eSIM to your phone at home, over your usual connection, and it is ready when you land. The full steps are in our guide to installing an eSIM on iPhone and Android.
Slashtel sells India eSIM plans from $2.79, in six data sizes and three durations, so you can match the plan to a week, two weeks or a month. Prices below are the live from-prices for each size.
| Plan | Price from |
|---|---|
| 1GB | $2.79 |
| 2GB | $6.29 |
| 3GB | $6.99 |
| 5GB | $9.99 |
| 10GB | $20.19 |
| 20GB | $32.79 |
All plans are data only. There is no local phone number and no calls or SMS. Sizes of 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB and 20GB are available, and durations are 7, 15 or 30 days. The price you see at checkout is the price for the plan you choose.
Your India eSIM connects to Airtel, Jio and Vi, and the network is selected automatically, so you do not set anything up on arrival. These are the main mobile networks in the country, and coverage follows their footprints across cities, highways and tourist areas.
The eSIM supports 5G where the network provides it and your phone supports it. You do not need to pick a network manually. When you land and switch the eSIM on, the phone registers on an available network and you have data within moments.
This matters for the trips people actually make. A visit home to family in a city or a town, a Goa beach trip, a Rajasthan tour through Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, or a business trip between Delhi and Mumbai all rely on the same thing: a data connection that works when you open maps, book a ride or answer a message. The automatic network selection keeps that simple.
For most trips the pattern is short and light: one week needs about 1GB, two weeks about 2GB and one month about 3GB, with larger sizes for heavier use. These are the suggested matches from Slashtel, based on typical travel use.
If you stream video, take video calls, use hotspot for a laptop or work remotely, move up to 5GB, 10GB or 20GB. Business travellers who join calls and check email through the day should treat 10GB or 20GB as the realistic range rather than the minimum. Maps, ride apps and messaging use little; video and hotspot use much more.
Install the India eSIM at home, before departure, while you still have a reliable connection and time to fix anything that goes wrong. Adding it at the airport or on arrival adds stress you do not need.
First, check that your phone supports eSIM. Most recent iPhones and many recent Android phones do, but not all. Our guide to checking if your phone is eSIM compatible lists what to look for.
Then buy your plan and scan the QR code or follow the manual steps to add the eSIM to your phone. Keep the eSIM switched off until you land, or leave it on if your phone handles two lines well. On arrival, enable the eSIM for mobile data and keep your home SIM active for calls and texts. Our step by step guide to installing an eSIM on iPhone and Android covers both systems.
Label the eSIM clearly in your phone settings, for example India data, so you do not confuse it with your home line when switching data on and off.
The India eSIM is data only: there is no Indian phone number, and you cannot make ordinary calls or send SMS with it. Calls and texts go through your home SIM, which you keep in the phone.
WhatsApp and FaceTime calls work over the data connection, so you can call family, colleagues and hotels through those apps. Your home number stays active for bank codes and verification texts, which is the main reason to keep your usual SIM in place. Check what your home operator charges for receiving texts abroad before you travel.
Set the India eSIM as your mobile data line and leave your home SIM as the line for calls and texts. That way your bank codes still arrive, and your data comes from the local plan rather than roaming charges.
The most common questions are about data only use, WhatsApp, hotspot, plan start, topping up and phone compatibility, and the answers below cover each.
More detail on setup and compatibility is in our two guides, linked above, and the plan list on this page shows every size and duration with live prices.
Yes. The India eSIM is data only. It has no local phone number and does not support ordinary calls or SMS. You use data for maps, messaging, email and apps, and you keep your home SIM for calls and bank codes.
Yes. WhatsApp and FaceTime calls run over the data connection, so they work with the eSIM. Voice and video calls inside those apps use data rather than the mobile voice network. Keep your home SIM active for ordinary calls and verification texts.
Yes. You can share your India data with a laptop, tablet or another phone using hotspot. Sharing uses your data allowance faster, so choose a larger size such as 10GB or 20GB if you plan to work from a laptop.
The plan starts when it first connects to a network in India, not when you buy it. Install the eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land. The validity then runs for the duration you chose, 7, 15 or 30 days.
You can buy another plan from Slashtel if you need more data or a longer stay. Check your remaining data in your phone settings before you travel onward. Plan sizes run from 1GB to 20GB, with durations of 7, 15 or 30 days.
Most recent iPhones and many recent Android phones support eSIM, but not all models do. Check your phone settings for an eSIM or add plan option before buying. Our compatibility guide explains what to look for on iPhone and Android.
For most trips a 5GB to 10GB data eSIM valid for 30 days is the right size: Slashtel's 5GB plan for India is $9.99 on Airtel, Jio and Vi. Install it before you fly, keep your home SIM on for calls and bank texts, and top up the same eSIM if you run low.
From $2.79 for 1GB valid 7 days, as of 7 November 2026. Longer trips: two weeks from $6.29 (2GB), one month from $6.99 (3GB).
$1.64 per GB on the 20GB plan (30 days, $32.79). Bigger plans usually cost less per GB, so buy the size you expect to use.
Airtel, Jio and Vi, with speeds up to 5G where available. The eSIM picks the strongest network automatically.
No. Slashtel eSIMs are data only, with no local number, calls or SMS. WhatsApp and other internet calls work, and your home SIM can stay on for calls and OTP texts.
Validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a network in India, not when you buy it, so you can buy and install it before you travel.
The Indian rupee (INR). Cards common in cities; carry some cash.
RuPay NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) (Mumbai Metro Lines 1, 2A, 3, 7; Delhi Metro Airport Express): buy at Mumbai Line 3 stations or partner SBI branches. UPI One World (Nationwide UPI merchants): buy at Authorised issuers (IDFC First Bank, Transcorp) at airports, hotels, exchange points.
India plans run for up to 30 days, and you never need a second eSIM. Pick a 30-day plan and tick Keep me connected at checkout: when your data runs low or the plan ends, the same plan is added to the same eSIM at the same price, with an email first, and you can turn it off any time. Or add data yourself on the Add data page whenever you like. No new QR code either way.
No single eSIM covers both, so we pair two plans in one payment. Both go on the same phone: install both before you fly, then pick which one is your data line when you cross. Both are data only: your own SIM stays on for calls, SMS and bank OTPs.
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