Compare the best eSIM plans for India
Internet from the moment you land in Delhi or Mumbai
By SamuelData collected on Page verified on Methodology
- Instant activation
- iPhone and Android compatible
- From €0.47 for 1 GB or more
- 4,100+ plans compared
Photo credit : Kowshi L
€0.47
Cheapest plan, 1 GB or more
4,100+
India plans
113+
Providers available
4G/5G
Networks supported
Entry price measured on fixed-volume plans of 1 GB or more covering the country. Volumes below 1 GB and plans billed per day, whose price is not comparable, fall outside the calculation.
Best eSIM deals for India
Stellar eSIM
1 GB
7 days
IN
€0.47
eSIM.dog
1 GB
1 day
IN
€0.85
AbesteSIM
1 GB
1 day
IN
€0.93
MicroEsim
1 GB
1 day
IN
€1.44
BNESIM
1 GB
30 days
IN
€1.50
Eskimo
1 GB
730 days
IN
€1.72
eSIM for India at a glance
From
€2.55
For 5 GB / 30 days
Plan duration
1 to 30+ days
Depending on the plan
Local networks
Jio, Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea)
4G nationwide, 5G rolling out
VPN needed?
No
All Western services work fine
Hotspot sharing
Available
On most plans
Compatibility
iPhone XS+ / Android 8.0+
Check your device
Internet in India: everything you need to know
India has roughly 52% internet penetration and over 99% 4G mobile coverage (source: ITU DataHub, 2024). 5G from Jio and Airtel is live in 700+ cities. Buying a physical local SIM in India requires strict KYC (passport + photo + sometimes local address) ; a travel eSIM skips that friction.
- ●4G coverage in all major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune) and along tourist routes (Golden Triangle, Kerala backwaters, Goa, Rajasthan) ; decent in Ladakh on the main Leh-Manali highway, patchier at high altitude (Khardung La, Spiti Valley).
- ●Average mobile speed ~60–90 Mbps download per Ookla (Q1 2025) : Jio dominates the market with ultra-low pricing.
- ●No Western services blocked : Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, YouTube and Netflix work normally. WhatsApp is overwhelmingly dominant for business and tourist contacts.
- ●Great for Uber, Ola, Rapido (scooters), Swiggy / Zomato (food delivery), Google Maps and HDFC / ICICI / SBI / Paytm mobile banking.
Sources: Internet Society Pulse: India, ITU DataHub: India, Ookla Speedtest Global Index
Networks and connectivity on the ground
- Average speed
- 128.2 Mbps downloadmeasured 2026 · Internet Society Pulse
- 5G
- Widely availablemeasured 2025 · Internet Society Pulse
- Local operators
- Jio · Airtel · Vimeasured 2026 · Datadopt research
- Public Wi-Fi
- Hotels and cafesmeasured 2026 · Datadopt research
Practical information
- Currency
- Indian Rupee (INR)
- Payments
- Card and cashATMs everywhere
- Tipping
- A small tip is expected
- Power socket
- Type C, Type D, Type M230 V, 50 Hz
- Official languages
- Hindi, EnglishAlso spoken : Bangla, Tamil, TeluguEnglish widely spoken
- Dialling code
- +91Time zone : Asia/Kolkata
- Emergency numbers
- 112
When to go
- Best time to go
- November, December, January, February, March
- Shoulder season
- October, April
- When to avoid
- May, June
- Peak season
- December, January
- Seasonal hazards
- MonsoonJune, July, August, September
- Extreme heatApril, May, June
- CyclonesOctober, November
November to March is the country's season: the north and centre are workable and the south stays warm without being oppressive. May and June are best avoided almost everywhere, and the monsoon occupies June to September.
A local number needs local verification
Indian SIM cards require in-person identity checks, which is the practical case for an eSIM here: it is bought before departure and works on arrival. The facts block below shows 5G across most of the population, meaning the cities and the main corridors.
Payment is a QR code
The national instant-payment system is everywhere, from hotels to street stalls, and foreign visitors can now register for it. Cash still works, but small notes are the ones that are useful and change is a recurring negotiation.
English is a working language, not a tourist one
It is an official language and the common medium of government, signage and business, which makes travel considerably easier than the number of local languages suggests. Twenty-two languages have official status at state level.
The monsoon comes up from the south-west
It reaches Kerala in early June and the north by late June, then withdraws in reverse. It does not rain continuously, but it closes mountain roads and makes some regions, the Ladakh and Rajasthan especially, entirely different depending on the month.
Iconic sites and coverage
Taj Mahal
A white marble mausoleum built at Agra by Shah Jahan for his wife, its hardstone inlay only readable up close. It closes on Fridays, and dawn light avoids both the heat and the crowd.
Amber Fort
Above Jaipur, a fortified palace of sandstone and marble whose mirrored hall returns the light of a single candle. The approach is on foot or by jeep, and the fort stands over an artificial lake.
Varanasi Ghats
Kilometres of steps down to the Ganges, where bathing, laundry, cremation and the evening ceremony follow one another. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, and sunrise is watched from a rowing boat.
Golden Temple
The Sikh shrine at Amritsar, clad in gold leaf and set in the middle of a pool. It is open to everyone, head covered and barefoot, and its community kitchen serves tens of thousands of free meals a day.
Kerala Backwaters
A network of canals, lakes and paddy fields below sea level, travelled by converted barge or dugout canoe. Some villages are reachable only by water, and signal weakens in the narrower channels.
Hampi
The ruins of Vijayanagara, spread across a chaos of granite boulders in Karnataka, with temples still in use inside the archaeological site. It is covered by bicycle or scooter, and the distances between monument groups are real.
Ladakh Pangong Lake
A salt lake above four thousand metres, half of it in China, whose colour shifts with the angle of the sun. The route crosses very high passes, needs two days of acclimatisation, and has no network at all: offline is mandatory.
Mumbai Gateway of India
The basalt arch on the waterfront, built for a royal visit and now the departure point for boats to Elephanta Island. The Colaba district behind it holds the city's colonial buildings.
Sources Internet Society Pulse, Datadopt research
Datadopt Observatory
Price per GB in India: what our data shows
According to the Datadopt Observatory, the lowest price per GB recorded in India comes down to 0.19 €/GB, across a sample of 2,058 fixed-volume offers retained for the measurement. That floor is reached on large data bundles : a 5 GB plan over 30 days costs noticeably more per GB. The real differentiator is still the depth of the offer : the more plans compete, the easier it is to find the duration and data volume that fit your trip.
Lowest price per GB recorded
0.19 €/GB
Offers in the price sample
2,058
Asia average
0.21 €/GB
World ranking
91 / 215
India is 10% cheaper than the Asia regional average (0.21 €/GB).
Source: Datadopt eSIM Price Observatory, 170,286 plans analysed, measured 1 September 2026.
See the eSIM price Observatory by country →Which eSIM providers for India?
Here are the 6 best-placed eSIM providers for India, ranked by best price per GB. Prices are expressed per GB so plans of different sizes can be compared on the same basis.
| Provider | Price per GB | From | Max duration | Hotspot | 5G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar eSIM | 0.47 €/GB | 0.47 € | 30 d | Yes | Yes |
| AbesteSIM | 0.55 €/GB | 0.93 € | 30 d | Yes | No |
| eSIM.dog | 0.64 €/GB | 0.85 € | 90 d | Yes | No |
| 1.11 €/GB | 2.21 € | 14 d | Yes | No | |
| MicroEsim | 1.33 €/GB | 1.44 € | 7 d | Yes | No |
| BNESIM | 1.50 €/GB | 1.50 € | 30 d | Yes | No |
Providers ranked by best price per GB, across plans of at least 1 GB. Source: Datadopt catalogue.
Compare all plans →Device compatibility
eSIM is built into every iPhone XS and later, as well as Samsung Galaxy S20+, Google Pixel 3a+ and most high-end Motorola, Oppo, Sony and Xiaomi models.
Not sure about your device? Check compatibility here.
How to install your eSIM for India
- 1. Compare offers on https://www.datadopt.com/en/compare/in
- 2. Browse our partners' eSIM offers and choose the data volume and duration that fit your trip.
- 3. Purchase the eSIM plan that best fits your needs on our partner's site.
- 4. Receive a QR code by email after purchase.
- 5. Before you leave or during your stay, add the eSIM to your smartphone (Note: a stable Wi-Fi connection may be required during this step.)
- 5.1. On iPhone: Settings > Mobile Data > Add Plan > Scan the QR code
- 5.2. On Android: Settings > Connections > SIM card manager > Add a mobile plan
- 6. Once you arrive, turn on the data of your eSIM and enjoy reliable internet in India.
First eSIM? The full walkthrough, with iOS and Android screenshots, lives in our guide how to install an eSIM on your smartphone.
Frequently asked questions
Does the eSIM really work in India?
Yes. International eSIMs connect to Jio, Airtel or Vi on landing at Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), Bangalore (BLR), Goa (GOI) or Cochin (COK). No KYC required (unlike a local physical SIM).
How much data for 2 weeks in India?
For Golden Triangle + Goa + Kerala, plan 10–15 GB : offline Maps (essential outside cities), Uber/Ola/Rapido, cloud photos, constant WhatsApp and some streaming.
Is there signal in Ladakh and Spiti?
Ladakh : signal in Leh and along the main Leh-Manali highway (except the highest passes). Spiti : signal in Kaza and Tabo, weak to none between villages. Always download offline Maps.
Can I use my European plan in India?
Non-EU roaming is charged at premium rates (up to €10/MB). Check ; otherwise a travel eSIM is much cheaper.
Can I share the connection with other devices?
Most India eSIM plans allow hotspot : the field is listed on each Datadopt offer detail page.
How much does an eSIM cost in India, and is it cheap?
According to the Datadopt Observatory, the lowest price per GB recorded in India comes down to 0.19 €/GB, across a sample of 2,058 fixed-volume offers retained for the measurement. That floor is reached on large data bundles : a 5 GB plan over 30 days costs noticeably more per GB. The real differentiator is still the depth of the offer : the more plans compete, the easier it is to find the duration and data volume that fit your trip. India is 10% cheaper than the Asia regional average (0.21 €/GB). In our global ranking of well-covered eSIM markets, India sits at position 91 of 215 by price per GB (1 = cheapest). Source: Datadopt eSIM Price Observatory, 170,286 plans analysed, measured 1 September 2026.
See the eSIM price Observatory by country →Explore other popular destinations
Ready to stay connected in India?
Compare the best eSIM offers and enjoy data the moment you arrive, at the best price.