We compare travel eSIM brands for India on coverage, speed, reliability, local networks, unlimited availability, and fair use policy. We also explain India's passport-based KYC rule and the four national carriers a brand can roam on. No brand can pay to rank higher.
HelloRoam is Simscanner's top-ranked travel eSIM for India on our modelled comparison; Saily is the cheapest plan we tracked, from $3.99. Check the ranking below.
Modelled estimates. Winner appears after verification.
Brands ranked on coverage, speed, reliability, local-network quality, unlimited and FUP transparency, and review signals. Independent comparison. No brand can pay to rank higher.
Compact overview. See the full comparison below for coverage, speed, reliability, FUP, hotspot, local networks, and review signals.
| Brand | Overall | Coverage | Speed | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
92 |
93 |
93 |
Yes |
Airalo |
85 |
82 |
86 |
Yes |
Holafly |
90 |
89 |
92 |
Yes |
Nomad |
89 |
92 |
88 |
Yes |
Saily |
90 |
92 |
86 |
Yes |
Ubigi |
83 |
79 |
81 |
Yes |
84 |
80 |
86 |
No |
Scroll horizontally to see every signal. Brand column stays in view.
| Brand | Rank | Overall | Coverage | Speed | Reliability | Unlimited | FUP / fair use | Hotspot | Local networks | Review signal | Confidence | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
1 | 92 |
93 |
93 |
Yes | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) | Allowed | IDEA · Vodafone · Vi India | 4.3 | Verified | See brand → Visit HelloRoam ↗ | |
Airalo |
5 | 85 |
82 |
86 |
Yes | High-speed 3 GB/day | Not stated | Jio | 3.7 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Airalo ↗ | |
Holafly |
2 | 90 |
89 |
92 |
Yes | High-speed ~90 GB/month | Allowed | Airtel · Jio | 3.6 | Verified | See brand → Visit Holafly ↗ | |
Nomad |
4 | 89 |
92 |
88 |
Yes | High-speed 2 GB/day | Not stated | IDEA · Vodafone | 3.8 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Nomad ↗ | |
Saily |
3 | 90 |
92 |
86 |
Yes | High-speed 3 GB/day | Not stated | IDEA · Vodafone | 3.8 | Verified | See brand → Visit Saily ↗ | |
Ubigi |
7 | 83 |
79 |
81 |
Yes | High-speed up to 60 GB | Not stated | IDEA · Vodafone | 3.6 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Ubigi ↗ | |
| 6 | 84 |
80 |
86 |
No | Not stated | Not stated | IDEA · Vodafone | 4.2 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Jetpac ↗ |
Every brand and plan available for India, with data amount, validity, price, connected network, hotspot rule and top-up option. Brand plan pricing is rendered in the brand checkout and changes frequently, so we hold this table in a pending state until each row is verified against the brand's own page. We do not publish invented prices, data amounts, or validity.
| Brand | Plan | Data | Validity | Price | Network | Hotspot | Top-up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
1GB/7d $4.74 · 10GB/30d $27.31 · Unlimited daily | 1 GB / 7 days | See entry plan | $4.74 | IDEA · Vodafone · Vi India | Allowed | Not stated | Verified |
Airalo |
1GB/3d $4 · 5GB/7d $14 · 10GB/15d $23 · 50GB/30d $59 · Unltd/30d $73.50 | 1 GB / 3 days | See entry plan | $4.00 | Jio | Not stated | Not stated | Secondary |
Holafly |
Unltd 3d $20.90 · 7d $39.90 · 15d $63.90 · 30d $112.90 | Unlimited / 3 days | See entry plan | $20.90 | Airtel · Jio | Allowed | Not stated | Verified |
Nomad |
1GB/7d $4 · 10GB/30d $22 · 20GB/30d $35 · Unltd 5d $18 · Unltd 10d $33 | 1 GB / 7 days | See entry plan | $4.00 | IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Not stated | Secondary |
Saily |
1GB/7d $3.99 · 5GB/30d $13.99 · 10GB/30d $23.99 · Unltd 5d $27.99 · Unltd 30d $98.99 | 1 GB / 7 days | See entry plan | $3.99 | IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Not stated | Verified |
Ubigi |
1GB/7d $4 · 10GB/30d $17 · 25GB+Unltd/7d $24 · 30GB+Unltd/15d $46 · 60GB+Unltd/30d $68 | 1 GB / 7 days | See entry plan | $4.00 | IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Not stated | Secondary |
| 3GB/1d $6.00 | 3 GB / 1 day | See entry plan | $6.00 | IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Not stated | Secondary |
The word "unlimited" rarely means limitless. Most brands attach a fair use policy that slows you once a daily or trip-long cap is hit. The grid below sets out that cap, the speed you drop to, and whether tethering is allowed.
| Brand | Unlimited? | High-speed allowance | Throttle after FUP | Hotspot | Policy clarity | Notes | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
Yes | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) | ~1 Mbps after ~6 GB/day (tested, US) | Allowed | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) · ~1 Mbps after ~6 GB/day (tested, US) | helloroam.com | Verified | |
Airalo |
Yes | High-speed 3 GB/day | 1000 kbps | Not stated | High-speed 3 GB/day · 1000 kbps | esimdb.com | Secondary | |
Holafly |
Yes | High-speed ~90 GB/month | 256-1024 kbps | Allowed | High-speed ~90 GB/month · 256-1024 kbps | holafly.com | Verified | |
Nomad |
Yes | High-speed 2 GB/day | 1 Mbps | Not stated | High-speed 2 GB/day · 1 Mbps | esimdb.com | Secondary | |
Saily |
Yes | High-speed 3 GB/day | 1 Mbps | Not stated | High-speed 3 GB/day · 1 Mbps | saily.com | Verified | |
Ubigi |
Yes | High-speed up to 60 GB | 2 Mbps | Not stated | High-speed up to 60 GB · 2 Mbps | esimdb.com | Secondary | |
| No | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated · Not stated | travelesimexpert.com | Secondary |
How fast a travel eSIM feels in India depends on the town you are in and the carrier it has latched onto. The grid reports each brand's typical download, upload, latency and whether you are on 4G or 5G. Figures shown are modelled estimates.
| Brand | Avg download | Avg upload | Latency | 4G / 5G | City confidence | Reliability | Last reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
84 Mbps | 24 Mbps | 30 ms | 5G/4G | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Airalo |
67 Mbps | 19 Mbps | 39 ms | 4G/5G | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Holafly |
81 Mbps | 24 Mbps | 31 ms | 4G LTE/5G | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Nomad |
72 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 36 ms | Not stated | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Saily |
67 Mbps | 19 Mbps | 39 ms | Not stated | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Ubigi |
55 Mbps | 16 Mbps | 45 ms | 5G | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
| 67 Mbps | 19 Mbps | 39 ms | Not stated | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 |
We model public ratings from the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, then surface the recurring themes travellers raise about each brand. Ratings and themes shown are Simscanner modelled estimates, not verified review counts.
Aggregate is a Simscanner modelled estimate across the tracked brands.
A travel eSIM brand is not the same as the local network. In India, eSIMs roam on one of four national mobile network operators. The carrier the brand connects to decides actual coverage, rural reach across India's states, and 5G availability.
India has four national mobile network operators (MNOs). The market is unusually concentrated after a price war that reshaped the sector:
India's independent telecom regulator is the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), established in 1997, and licences are issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Source: Wikipedia, Telecommunications in India (retrieved 30 May 2026). Jio and Airtel both run nationwide 5G; published band lists show Jio on 700 MHz, 3300 and 3500 MHz 5G NR, and Airtel on a similar 5G footprint. Source: Wikipedia, List of mobile network operators of the Asia Pacific region (retrieved 30 May 2026).
| Brand | Connected network | 4G / 5G | Main cities | Rural confidence | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
IDEA · Vodafone · Vi India | 5G/4G | Good metro coverage | Rural: Medium-high | helloroam.com | Verified |
Airalo |
Jio | 4G/5G | Wide urban reach | Rural: High | esimdb.com | Secondary |
Holafly |
Airtel · Jio | 4G LTE/5G | Strong across major cities | Rural: Good | holafly.com | Verified |
Nomad |
IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Strong across major cities | Rural: Good | esimdb.com | Secondary |
Saily |
IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Solid in the main cities | Rural: Medium | saily.com | Verified |
Ubigi |
IDEA · Vodafone | 5G | Wide urban reach | Rural: High | esimdb.com | Secondary |
| IDEA · Vodafone | Not stated | Good metro coverage | Rural: Medium-high | travelesimexpert.com | Secondary |
India runs one of the world's strictest mobile KYC regimes, and the rules differ sharply for a local Indian SIM versus a foreign travel eSIM. Here is the verified position as of 30 May 2026.
For a local Indian SIM: yes, identity verification is mandatory. Every mobile connection in India must be tied to a verified identity. A foreign visitor buying a local SIM uses passport-based KYC: you provide your passport, a valid Indian visa, a passport photograph and a local Indian address, often your hotel. This is fully permitted under the rules. Source: Simology (retrieved 30 May 2026). For foreign passport holders, operators commonly cap the connection validity to the visa period or a shorter policy window, often up to 90 days. Source: Simology (retrieved 30 May 2026).
How the KYC rule came about. India's identity-linked SIM regime grew out of the Aadhaar national ID project, which the UIDAI was mandated to build from 2009. A 2017 DoT circular pushed Aadhaar-based re-verification of all mobile users, but on 26 September 2018 the Supreme Court, in the Puttaswamy (Aadhaar) judgment, struck down compulsory Aadhaar linkage for mobile numbers as lacking the backing of law. Source: Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (retrieved 30 May 2026). Verification itself stayed mandatory through other accepted documents, and in 2024 the DoT tightened rules on the dealers and resellers who sell SIMs, placing high liability on sellers for improper verification. Source: Nomad eSIM (retrieved 30 May 2026).
For a foreign travel eSIM: no Indian KYC applies to you. A travel eSIM from a brand such as Airalo, Holafly or Nomad is a foreign-issued line that roams on an Indian network, so India's passport-and-visa SIM registration does not apply. There is no shop visit, no C-Form address step and no operator validity cap to deal with. Source: Nomad eSIM (retrieved 30 May 2026). This is the main reason many visitors choose a travel eSIM over the local-SIM queue.
India sits in South Asia, bordering Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, with Sri Lanka and the Maldives offshore. How a travel eSIM behaves here differs from those neighbours in a few important ways.
India is part of the Asia region and shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Source: Wikipedia, India (retrieved 30 May 2026). Unlike travel inside the European Union, there is no roam-like-at-home zone across South Asia, so an India-only eSIM will not work in neighbouring Nepal or Sri Lanka. A trip that crosses borders usually needs a multi-country Asia regional plan or a global plan rather than a single-country India eSIM.
On the registration question, India is stricter than several of its neighbours: a local Indian SIM demands passport, visa and a local address under one of the tighter KYC regimes in the region, and resellers can make the in-person process slow. The practical equaliser for visitors is the same as elsewhere in the region, a foreign travel eSIM roams on an Indian network and sidesteps the local KYC step entirely. India's market is also distinctive for how concentrated it became after Reliance Jio's 2016 price war, which left four national carriers rather than the larger field many neighbours still have.
Currency and language also shape the on-the-ground experience: India uses the Indian rupee (INR, ₹), its official languages at the union level are Hindi and English, and the capital is New Delhi. Source: Wikipedia, India (retrieved 30 May 2026). Most travel eSIM brands price in US dollars or euros, so the rupee rarely appears at checkout, but local top-up shops and Indian-carrier SIMs quote in rupees.
Each brand is scored on seven inputs. Coverage and local-network quality come from public local-carrier sources. Speed and reliability come from public network performance sources. Review and FUP signals are taken from public brand and store sources. No brand can pay to rank higher.
Public local-carrier coverage data, mapped per state and circle of India.
Public network performance sources, scoped to Indian cities.
Drop-off, time-to-connect, and uptime signals from public sources.
Clarity of allowance, throttle speed, and hotspot rules on each plan.
Whether hotspot and tethering are allowed and on which India plans.
Which Indian carrier the brand roams on and the network grade.
App Store, Play Store, and Trustpilot signals, weighted by recency.
Source quality, recency, and number of verified inputs per brand.
Common traveller questions answered directly. Full FAQ content stays in the HTML so search and AI crawlers can read it.
Not for a foreign travel eSIM. India's mandatory passport-and-visa KYC applies to local Indian SIMs sold by Indian carriers. A foreign-issued travel eSIM that roams on an Indian network is exempt, so there is no shop visit, no passport check and no operator validity cap for visitors who use one.
A foreign tourist needs a passport, a valid Indian visa, a passport photograph and a local Indian address, usually a hotel booking. This passport-based KYC is permitted under the rules. Operators often cap the connection validity to the visa period, commonly up to 90 days. A travel eSIM avoids this process entirely.
India has four national carriers: Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and the state-owned BSNL. Jio and Airtel are the largest and run nationwide 5G. Each travel eSIM roams on one or more of these networks. The per-brand mapping on this page is a modelled estimate.
Coverage depends on which Indian network the eSIM roams on. Jio and Airtel have the widest nationwide footprints and the broadest 5G, so brands connecting to them tend to perform best across India's states. Simscanner publishes a modelled per-brand coverage ranking for India; the ranking table shows each brand's coverage score.
No. An India-only eSIM does not extend to neighbouring countries, because South Asia has no shared roam-like-at-home zone like the EU. For a trip across India, Nepal or Sri Lanka, a multi-country Asia regional plan or a global plan usually covers each country. Check each brand's country list before buying.
Hotspot and tethering rules vary by brand. Some allow hotspot on all plans, some only on selected plans, and some restrict it on unlimited plans. The unlimited and FUP comparison on this page shows the hotspot rule for each brand for India once the data is verified.
Every factual claim on this page about India's networks, regulator, KYC rule, currency, language and capital is sourced below. Per-brand plan prices, coverage scores and speed data are a modelled estimate and are not stated as fact until cited.
AI-assisted disclosure. This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the Simscanner editorial team. Every factual claim is sourced above with a public URL and retrieval date. Per-brand plan prices, data amounts, validity, coverage scores, speed and FUP values are marked a modelled estimate and are not published until checked against each brand's own page. We do not invent data.
Continue your comparison with nearby destinations, the same region, top brand profiles, or our methodology.