Originally Posted by
legionnaire
All I need is a durable india number that stays alive year after year. As an OCI holder without an aaadhar that seems an impossible ask for everything I’ve read. I am considering having a family member add a line but that creates a dependency on their aadhar that I would prefer to avoid if possible.
Airalo was going to be my fallback for local (cheaper) data only. But this report encourages the inertia in me to stick with roaming on my US carrier for its lower friction despite the highest cost
The aadhar makes it easy to get a new SIM, but is not a requirement. However, some outlets may insist on an aadhar, you may have to shop around. I have found that things one outlet says are impossible are done instantly with a smile at other outlets.
I don't understand about "dependency".
The Indian SIM can be refilled annually via amazon.in to keep it active, with a US credit card. It is much more expensive it used to be, but $30/year or so isn't a big deal (and data within India will be MUCH cheaper than an Airalo eSim).