This article is aimed at travelers visiting India who want to stay connected during their trip. Choosing between a BSNL SIM card & eSIM can be confusing, especially regarding availability and activation processes. This guide will shed light on how to acquire and activate both options, ensuring a smooth and connected journey in India.
In this article
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is a state-owned telecommunications company in India, offering a wide range of telecom services across the country. So, BSNL is one of the best choice for tourists to buy a local SIM card in India.
Established in the 21st century, it plays a crucial role in India’s telecom landscape, ensuring connectivity even in the most remote regions. Here are some facts about it.
BSNL, the state-owned telecom giant of India, boasts a pan-India presence, covering all 22 telecom circles. This translates to coverage in almost all major cities and towns, reaching over 90% of India’s population according to BSNL’s annual report (2022-23)
Here’s a breakdown of key points regarding BSNL coverage:
While BSNL enjoys a wide footprint, it’s crucial to note that private players might offer stronger connectivity in certain pockets.
BSNL recorded the lowest speeds among major operators in India, according to Opensignal’s October 2023 Mobile Network Experience Report. Here are some keynotes about BSNL speed:
In summary, BSNL lags significantly compared to private operators in India due to its considerably lower speeds and inconsistent performance.
Yes, BSNL does offer eSIM services in India.
To buy tourist eSIMs for India by BSNL, you need to adapt specific requirements like presenting your passport for verification purposes. This process is rather complicated which is not suitable for most travelers.
Good to know: 1 INR = 0,012 USD, 1 USD = 82,93 INR (March, 2024)
| Plan Name | Price (INR) | Price (USD) | Validity | Local & STD Calls | SMS | Data |
| BSNL STV 18 | 18 | 0.22 | 26 days | 300 minutes | 100 | 2GB |
| BSNL STV 75 | 75 | 0.91 | 30 days | Unlimited | 100 | 1GB per day |
| BSNL STV 147 | 147 | 1.78 | 35 days | Unlimited | 100 | 2GB per day |
| BSNL STV 185 | 185 | 2.24 | 42 days | Unlimited | 100 | 3GB per day |
| BSNL STV 399 | 399 | 4.84 | 70 days | Unlimited | 100 | 4GB per day |
► Recommendations:
Note: Check BSNL's website for current plans and confirm data/call limits before purchase.
The 2 main options for acquiring a BSNL connection are a traditional SIM card or a newer eSIM.
According to experienced travelers, it seems to be hard to find eSIM services on BSNL’s official website and the procedure and requirements are also complicated (requiring scanning passport and more), so it is not recommended to buy eSIM for India directly from BSNL.
While Gigago strives to offer a variety of options for travelers heading to India, we currently do not provide BSNL India eSIMs.
However, we encourage you to explore the convenient option of purchasing an eSIM from other providers or retailers before your trip. Buying in advance can streamline your arrival process, as you may encounter registration steps requiring your passport when buying locally.
For incredible value and coverage, Gigago offers a range of Jio data packages directly from the network.
Here are the steps to buy an India Jio eSIM on Gigago:
In details, Gigago has various data plans, starting at 3GB for 30 days at $14.50 . The cool thing about Gigago’s India eSIM plans is they range from $14.50 – $29.90 , so there’s an option for everyone, no matter how much data you need or how long you’ll be in India.
Tips:
Tele-verification usually takes around 2 hours, while online activation might be quicker, depending on the network traffic. In-store activation is typically the fastest option.
Yes, you can! This can be helpful if your main phone doesn’t support a new SIM card format like micro-SIM or nano-SIM. Just make sure to power down the phone before inserting or removing the SIM card.
To check if your BSNL SIM is active, simply dial *124# on your BSNL line. Afterward, the service provider will promptly send you an SMS detailing your BSNL subscription’s balance and validity.
Activating a BSNL SIM incurs a small fee of Rs. 20, allowing Prepaid Mobile connections to be reactivated within 15 days from the deactivation date.
To sum it up, getting and setting up a BSNL SIM card & eSIM in India is a breeze and can step up your connectivity game. With user-friendly steps, you can tap into BSNL’s wide network effortlessly.
Whether you go for the traditional SIM card or the tech-savvy eSIM, BSNL makes sure the switch is smooth, keeping you connected hassle-free.
Traveling to New Delhi, India, one of the most essential tasks for any traveler is to buy SIM card in New Delhi to stay connected during your trip. This detailed guide is here to give you great tips and practical advice when you buy SIM card in New Delhi. It’ll make sure you breeze through […]
This article is written for international travelers who will be arriving at Chennai International Airport and need cellular connectivity during their visit to plan trips or stay in touch with contacts. In this post, readers will learn where and how to easily purchase a SIM card at Chennai Airport to have mobile access, as well […]
This article provides a guide for buying a SIM card at Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi) to highlight the process, options, and tips for travelers arriving at Delhi Airport.
Getting online right upon arrival is vital for many travelers visiting India, and buying a SIM card at Mumbai airport (BOM) (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) makes staying connected easy.
Data roaming in India can be very expensive, especially if you don’t understand how international phone roaming charges work. This article will explain how data roaming in India works, whether rates are expensive, alternatives to roaming to access the internet like eSIM, and how to turn off roaming to save money when traveling to India.
This article is for travelers to India who want to get mobile internet to stay connected while traveling to India. It will provide a basic understanding of mobile internet in India, how much it costs, and the best options to get mobile internet for travelers.