...and two passport photos as well. (A few places, like the Airtel counter at DEL, just snap your photo with a digital camera instead.)

You need passport photos for everything in India. A tip for some one getting a couple, just go ahead and get at least 10. They are cheap and you never know when you might need them again!

Good to know. Didnt know passport photos are so important.

Best Sim for foreighners
 

Hello my friends:),
I am from Kathmandu and during this winter I am going to India on our college trip.we will be there for 2 months Jan and Feb.I am a teenager and my family is very worried for me:(. I have been thinking of using an Indian Sim card, it would be easier to contact my family and some of my relatives in there.Thus, i am looking for an easy to buy, easy to connect,with fast and reliable network9 if possible cheap or tourist oriented:D sort of) sim card.Please friends give me some suggestions.

all cell phone companies in india offer pre-paid sims that can be used for 2 months....they all offer similar rates & are pretty easy to get....all you need is your passport copy & a couple of photographs....

While it's generally true that most companies offer similar service at comparable costs, there are differences that can make some SIM's completely useless. My Vodaphone SIM had expired and got iDEA this time and wish I had not.

I ended up going to Badrinath and found that, iDEA did not offer service in Badrinath. NO SERVICE at all. BSNL worked as did Vodaphone and Airtel (I think). If you are going to be travelling to remote areas, it might be best to check around before you buy a SIM, or else, you might get stuck with a useless piece of plastic.

I strongly suggest BSNL. I've never had any problems whatsoever with them. Then again, I've never had any problems with AI either...

I guess the GoI likes me :D

you are definitely part of the select few....:p

Or your standards are very low :p (Just kidding)

My biggest problem is, besides procuring a SIM, is to keep it alive. I don't travel to India frequently enough to keep my SIM alive.

Is there a way to keep it alive for a year without spending a fortune?

As far as procuring a SIM is concerned, I don't like having to get one in someone else's name. People with Indian ID think getting a SIM card is as simple as asking for one and forking out a dollar or so.
Not quite.

I had been on the run for two days on my way to Badrinath, and on getting there, I found, to my disappointment that I was to be accorded absolute peace by iDEA. No calls, no e-mails. My SIM card was happy and my data plan was at peace too.

Since it was three days before closure of the temple for the winter, all but one mobile shop, were closed. He too refused to sell me a SIM without a proper Indian ID. He suggested that wasn't worth the effort trying to get a SIM for a couple of days. iDEA resumes it's service halfway between Badrinath and Joshimath. A hotel employee lent me his phone for one day. I just wanted a SIM. I was able to call my wife so that she could call me back. He would not accept any money either. :)

Yes there is a way buy a vodaphone prepaid sim and keep it on back home. It costs Rs. 99 per month. Send a message or 2 sometimes costs Rs 15 to send message recieving is free. Dont make calls with it.
Go to a vodaphone store with your passport photocopies and a color photo sim will be issued and activated in a day to 36 hrs. time.

BSNL Worked beyond Joshimath. The guy who manned the reception in the hotel lent me his phone so that my wife and sin could call me. It was a BSNL.
I find the roaming charges to be annoying especially on incoming calls.

If you live near a state line, you can spend a lot of money roaming even without leaving your house. I wish they would abolish roaming in India.

You pay Rs 99 per month in advance? How are they going to billl you if your stay outside India extends beyond the period you have already paid for?
How often do you have to send an SMS? DO you have to go to a Vodaphone store every time you return to India? It sounds like
You do not have to provide proof of address?

I did not get a vodaphone this time. I have an IDEA. How do you keep IDEA SIM alive?

iDEA AND aIRTEL WILL SHUT YOU DOWN IF PHONE IS NOT IN USE IN 2-3 MONTHS. WITH vODAPHONE you have international roaming activated the day you buy the sim. Just see you have enough balance on your phone. You can recharge online too
http://www.freecharge.in/
As soon as you reach an international destination put your phone on, your phone will see R ( roaming). Send an SMS a month sending it costs Rs. 15 but to recieve an SMS is free. Keep your phone with vodaphone sim on all the time.
tHE 99 A MONTH IS DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PHONE BALANCE

BS. I've had an Airtel prepaid sim for at least 5 years now and use it maybe every 6 months when I'm in India and it hasn't been shut down. I don't have international roaming on it either.

But it has become incredibly difficult to get a new sim now. I tried getting an additional prepaid sim at Airtel last week in my name and they wouldn't accept my PAN card as ID and a landline bill with my father's name (which is also listed on my PAN card) as address proof, which had worked earlier. Instead, they asked me to use my UK drivers licence as ID proof and had my dad use his India drivers licence as my address proof - there was no proof of any relationship between my dad and me in those two documents. Ridiculous KYC rules which make no sense. :td:

I too have maintained an Airtel prepaid sim for the last 5~6 years, using it for around a week every 3 ~ 6 months. Put money into it every trip (just usage - haven't seen any value reduction otherwise). Other than early issues in activating and deactivating data service (back when data was Rs. 20 per day; ended up having to show up at Airtel's local office to have it resolved a few times) have not had any issues.