Best eSIM for India

Right now it is Saily with the Unlimited · 25 days plan at ₹8,231. It has a Pakka Score of 6.0 out of 10 for India, based on 96 traveller reviews of Saily there, and it is sized for a 21-day trip.

Right-sized plans for about a week start at ₹8,231 from Saily. Our pick costs ₹8,231. Prices are converted from USD daily, so expect small movements.

Saily rides on Airtel in India. The destination score reflects how that network performed for previous travellers, which is why the same provider can score differently in a neighbouring country.

UPI, food delivery and most OTP-based services want an Indian number. A Jio or Airtel tourist SIM from the airport counter needs a passport, visa and photo. For a three-week visit it pays for itself in days; keep the eSIM for arrival and as backup.

Cities, highways and the main rail routes are strong. Himachal and Uttarakhand hill stations drop to 4G or nothing on the climbs, and Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir have restrictions where roaming SIMs often do not work at all.

Allowed on most plans. Airtel's 5G is strong in every big city; the hotspot phone will carry the family on the drive from the airport.

Visa and Mastercard debit or credit cards with international use enabled work with every provider we list. UPI and RuPay-only cards do not. Your bank will add a forex markup of roughly 2 to 3.5%.

For normal use, maps, WhatsApp, social media and a few video calls, budget about 0.7 GB per day, so around 14.7 GB for 21 days. Heavy users who stream or hotspot should double that.

Install it on Wi-Fi before you fly and keep it switched off until you land. Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru activate at the gate on Airtel, which nearly every travel eSIM uses here. For NRIs and overseas families flying in, the eSIM covers the arrival days while the local SIM is sorted.