oliver2002

I have an OCI card but no aadhar, getting a sim from a normal mobile operator was near impossible.

Mwenenzi

Another thread---> Prepaid SIM - India (very old)
From---> List of Prepaid SIM threads (country-specific and multi-country)

SeeBuyFly

Very old threads are not useful, since India's rules have changed multiple times.

Also the enforcement of rules varies, so anecdotal reports should not be taken as gospel. Of course an aadhar makes the transaction very easy for the seller, but I am not sure it is absolutely essential everywhere. Of course my own SIM long predates these requirements, so I have no experience.

puchong

If you try to get an AirTel SIM in Calcutta, avoid the AirTel store at the crossing of Park Street & Free School Street - I think it is run by a franchisee and they routinely gouge visitors. It is better to approach the AirTel store on the south side of Park Street (between a Godrej showroom and the offices of Warren Tea / ICICI Bank) - that is a company store and you will get proper prices though service depends on who you encounter!

Only Jio insists on Aadhaar - not surprising, considering the Ambani - Modi nexus

oliver2002

No stress, I still have my mothers old vodafone SIM and use it when in India. Airtel has crap (data) coverage in the areas I usually go to (fathers village). My friend got me a Jio SIM on his name when Jio was up and coming and giving away hotspots for nearly nothing. I hit the aadhar roadblock when I wanted to move the vodafone number to my name. Since it was not possible, I retain the old account which meets every definition of benami now, but what can I do

Kumar2013

Quite right. The aadhar demand is the laziest and easiest form of KYC that stores use to sell SIMs. Since i refuse to use aadhar on account of my data privacy concerns I always present other ID (Passport, Voters ID, bank passbook with photo) and that has always worked - as recently as a few months ago.

For those residing in India but without Indian Government ID it's hard though not impossible. The company stores are normally helpful and generally require the passport as well as some kind of residence proof - which is quite generous and includes bank statements, credit card statements, etc.

quarryking

Piling onto this old thread since it's the same topic.

Wondering what the options are for Foreign Passport Holders to acquire a SIM card for their duration of their holiday in India ?
Last i checked, it was the usual rigmarole of having to give one's local ID (Passport, Adhaar card) and it take a few hours to get activated.

Any suggestions on a quick fix for this at any of the Arrival airports such as DEL or BOM ?

SeeBuyFly

Tourist SIMs are available at both the airports you mention. (Sales agents elsewhere may not be willing or able to do the necessary nonstandard paperwork.) These SIMs do not need local ID, but they have finite life (3mo?) and cannot be renewed. I am not sure but it may need a few hours to be activated and possibly also a second verification process (others will have first-hand experience).

You will pay a larger initial fee than Indian residents do, but data in India is very cheap so it is usually worth it (compared to, say, Google Fi, which works well in India with no hassle but costs $10/GB.)

This being 2023, there are now also data-only eSIMs. (You can still call via WhatsApp, Google Voice, etc.) These offer the convenience of purchase over the internet, and electronic delivery, but have higher costs---still cheaper than Google Fi and far from the biggest travel expense. See airalo or mobimatter for examples. One does not necessarily need a lot of GB for a vacation if staying in hotels that have wifi. (I just got back from a 10-day trip to Europe, with a 5GB eSIM from mobimatter, but I used only about 1.5GB.)

Bandicoot

No personal experience, but I've heard getting a SIM on arrival at BOM is generally the easiest for tourists / non-residents, but it still means showing documentation and waiting for activation - I don't think you'll be able to avoid those challenges anywhere. At the airport they are likely to be more familiar with dealing with the documentation from a visitor (i.e., foreign passport, hotel reservation, etc.) and it may be more of a struggle at a shop in town.

This page seems to have been updated recently and talks about the Airtel booth at BOM:
https://mountainsandmahals.com/india...umbai-airport/

quarryking

Thanks for the info..

oliver2002

If you have recent iPhone or Samsung device go for an esim via Airalo etc. Works great and is very inexpensive. Not worth going thru the pain of getting a Sim at the airport.

Bandicoot

This is a good suggestion, but be aware that Airalo and the like only provide data, not an actual Indian number for calls. While WhatsApp and the like will get a visitor through most things, there are a few situations where having a local number to receive calls or texts at is useful. A very simple (almost silly) issue is a reservation at a restaurant - often they'll take your number and promise to send you a text when your table is ready, and well, they're not set up to send a text to a foreign number. Same with some places that send a text OTP to join a wifi network, etc. Or if you call someone from your home number, they will be reluctant to call you back as it's an international call for them. It's just a lot more convenient to have a local number during your visit, and it's a shame getting a SIM is not easier.

legionnaire

This is precisely the reason I prefer having a local number. Has anyone seen an active phone company kiosk or counter at BLR? How does a foreign passport holder get a local number ? (No Aaadhar)

Bandicoot

No idea about BLR specifically, but the general procedure for a foreign visitor used to be that you have to show your passport (for id), your visa documentation, your hotel booking or other proof of address for your stay, and proof of your address in your home country (if it's not in your passport) - and you'll need provide photocopies of these although the store will probably have a photocopy machine or just take pictures of your documentation. The SIMs for tourists used to be limited to something like 30 days with no possibility of extension; this may have changed to longer periods of validity. At the airport stores (DEL / BOM - not sure if there is one at BLR) it's supposed to be pretty smooth (anecdotal reports) but your experience may vary at stores in town. Sometimes some vendors will outright refuse to issue you a SIM, others will ask for random additional information like contact numbers of locals as "references", etc.

GoraDesi

I've now gotten Airtel SIM cards two ways:

1. Airtel corporate store in Kolkata. I needed my passport. They gave me a 1 month SIM for around rs300. I then added money to the SIM on AIrtel's website to keep the SIM active for a year, but after 3 months service ended (even though it was pre-paid for a year). Airtel claims this is a government requirement.

2. Airtel booth at DEL. I paid about rs450 and it took just a few minutes to get the SIM. They didn't install the SIM in my phone, so bring a SIM tool. It took about 7 hours before the SIM became active.