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Tourists with Indian E-Visa Will Now Get Free Pre-Loaded BSNL SIM with Rs 50 of Talktime and 50MB Data at Airports in India

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Tourists with Indian E-Visa Will Now Get Free Pre-Loaded BSNL SIM with Rs 50 of Talktime and 50MB Data at Airports in India
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bonky on 18/02/2017 - 10:04 india.com (602 clicks)
Last edited 18/02/2017 - 10:06

Under this new offer, any tourist with an e-Visa arriving in the country can simply get the SIM card by showing the first page of their passport and submitting a copy of their e-Visa.

Under this new offer, any tourist with an e-Visa arriving in the country can simply get the SIM card by showing the first page of their passport and submitting a copy of their e-Visa. For the time being, those tourists arriving through the regular Visa process will not be able to get the SIM card. For the offer, the Ministry of Tourism has paired up with BSNL or Bharati Sanchar Nigam Limited.

BSNL is the government owned telecom operator in the country and in terms of connectivity, is one of the strongest networks, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. Under this new offer, the SIM card that the tourists will be given will consist of Rs 50 of talktime and 50 MB data. Unlike Indian SIM cards, there will be no lag for activated and the SIM cards will be pre-activated, meaning they can be used instantly.

The SIM card facility is currently available at T3 Terminal at IGI or Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Other international airports in the country are soon expected to get his facility too. The offer will be extended to all tourists with e-Visa and there are no restrictions on the country or the duration of the visit. Apart from the SIM card offer, the Ministry of Tourism has also launched a new Mobile Service where tourists can call on a number for any assistance. The Helpline Number was inaugurated some days prior to the SIM card facility launch. The number, 1800111363 is accessible by tourists 24 x 7 and help on the number is available in multiple languages – namely 12, to aid foreign tourists better

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closed Comments

  • King Tightarse on 18/02/2017 - 10:26
    +4

    50MB!
    Will definitely update my stream library while there.
    Just kidding free, is good OP.

  • altomic on 18/02/2017 - 10:44

    awesome to know. going to india in march. thanks for posting.

    • pyramid on 18/02/2017 - 11:06
      +1

      Wow… Where are you going in India…

    • OSA on 18/02/2017 - 11:23
      +1

      If going in march, you might like to use this offer as well. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/280100

      • altomic on 18/02/2017 - 11:27
        +2

        awesome. thanks.

      • shadowarrior on 18/02/2017 - 12:03
        +2

        You need adhar card or voter's id to get that Jio Sim. Pretty much you need to be an Indian citizen.

        • ScoMosas on 18/02/2017 - 21:22

          No. You can have Aadhar card even if you hold OCI

        • shadowarrior on 18/02/2017 - 21:27
          +1

          @nisarg: So please tell us how do you become an OCI? Never mind, let me answer that for you, only if you 'were' an Indian citizen and gave up your citizenship for another country's citizenship. Back to square one, a Jio sim is of no help to travelers who are not/or were not citizens of India. Oh and you also need a post paid bill which isn't older than 3 months.
          https://www.jio.com/en_US/faq/jio-preview-offer/partner-jio-…

        • ScoMosas on 19/02/2017 - 00:10

          @shadowarrior: OCI says you can not buy farming land in India & you can not vote in election or you can not work in army. Otherwise you have equal rights as any other Indian citizen. I do have postpaid plan in India on my name and adhar card too.

        • shadowarrior on 19/02/2017 - 09:29

          @nisarg: Hey Nisarg. I am an Australian citizen. I have never been an Indian citizen and not born in India. Neither of my parents are Indian. Can I get an OCI for my 30 days visit to India? What are the requirements for me to apply for OCI? Is it just another type of visa anyone can apply? How long will it take me to get an OCI because I will then use my OCI card to sign up for the Jio Sim within the 30 days I will be in India for.

        • cheesecactus on 19/02/2017 - 10:02

          @shadowarrior:

          Nah, pretty sure you can't get an OCI.

        • shadowarrior on 19/02/2017 - 11:00

          @cheesecactus: Exactly…hence any normal traveler who is not an Indian citizen or hold an OCI cannot get Jio sim…

        • ScoMosas on 19/02/2017 - 11:12

          @shadowarrior: In that case, I agree with you.

      • easternculture on 13/03/2017 - 23:15

        Currybender on 18/02/2017 - 11:23

        username checks out

  • ash79 on 18/02/2017 - 10:53
    +2

    Anything free is great. Thanks for sharing

  • railspider on 18/02/2017 - 10:55
    +2

    How many minutes is Rs 50?
    Assuming Rs stands for rupees, that's the equivalent of $1 AUD; can't imagine that being many calls.

    • hashtagbargain on 18/02/2017 - 11:02
      +20

      At least 50 mins of calls, by the most expensive plan.

      IIRC, Indian telco rates are one of the lowest in the world!

      Dont make the mistake of converting to $ and judging it, it is a whole different world out there :)

  • rv6650 on 18/02/2017 - 11:00
    +1

    Around 30 local minutes

    There local is within particular state….

  • bargainisg8 on 18/02/2017 - 11:13

    Would that be already activated? For a friend of mine, it took 2 days for activation for a new sim card.

    Given this is at airport, activation should be quick.

    • altomic on 18/02/2017 - 11:27

      read the 3rd paragraph

    • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2017 - 11:35
      +3

      I went to India about 6 years ago and activation of a SIM card was a nightmare

      • dealman on 18/02/2017 - 13:53

        Yes, hence this scheme to make it easier for tourists

  • bonky on 18/02/2017 - 12:02

    gotta love the chi tea!

  • ChristopherJZ on 18/02/2017 - 12:25
    +14

    This is pretty good. BSNL isn't the best network in India by a long shot, however the fact it's preactivated is the biggest plus here. Activating a SIM card in India is a bureaucratic nightmare. You usually need copies of your passport and visa, a signed letter from both parents and it has to be stamped and verified by Lord Krishna and then you have to sacrifice a goat. After all this it takes around 2 days for the service to be switched on. Also, they will usually cancel your service the day before you are due to leave India which can be problematic waiting around or even getting to airports with no service.

    If this is preactivated then wow, that's great news.

    • dealman on 18/02/2017 - 13:53

      Lol

      Stamped and verified by Lord Krishna, or his 10,000 avatars

  • neonlight on 18/02/2017 - 12:29

    OP might as well put travellers only and India only

  • naru6705 on 18/02/2017 - 13:43
    +1

    This is so good currently it takes leg, arm and 3 days to get SIM activated in India through Airtel (aweful process).

    Thanks OP is is certainly a welcome move, since this is the first thing you need once you land :)

  • shadowarrior on 18/02/2017 - 14:02

    I just use my Vodafone Red roaming if it's available in any countries I visit. Its a bit expensive but it is hassle free and has way more advantages (calls back to AU free, no local roaming charges, data limit is used from my AU plan).

    • nickeveli on 18/02/2017 - 17:28

      Agree 100%, this is what I did when I was in India. Yes, $5 a day is a lot compared to the price of a local SIM, but as another poster pointed out it really is a bureaucratic nightmare to get one. Note though you'd mainly be roaming on (surprise) Vodafone IN which is not the best network but decent enough. No reception in Darjeeling!

      I eventually got a local SIM with Airtel (arguably the best network) but it took 7 days and I got very, very lucky. In fact, I still try to keep it active here by topping up/having some activity. Just to avoid the hassle again!

  • ChatCPT on 18/02/2017 - 21:18

    What about Indian dual citizens?

    • retiredfeline on 18/02/2017 - 21:32
      +2

      Maybe you need a dual SIM phone then? But seriously, wouldn't you qualify for the Jio deal?

      • Iwantthatbargain on 19/02/2017 - 08:58

        How to get Jio SIM?

      • ChatCPT on 20/02/2017 - 10:57

        Aussie passport + Indian OCI = Overseas citizen on India so I dont need a visa to visit India.
        Not sure if we qualify as indian citizen. Need to read the fine print of the deal. Would be sad if we dont qualify for both deals.

    • hashtagbargain on 19/02/2017 - 01:30
      +1

      Lol, India doesn't offer dual citizenship!

  • netizen on 19/02/2017 - 06:48

    Great, thanks for your info 👌🏻👍🏻🙏

  • kusala on 19/02/2017 - 07:40
    +3

    As others have commented, the best part of this deal is the fact that the sim is pre-activated.

    I visit India regularly and purchasing & activating sims is usually problematic, often requiring the help of Indian friends. However, in October last year, it was very easy to purchase an Airtel sim [copy of passport required] which was then activated immediately. I was told Airtel is aiming to provide a better service for tourists. This was in Bihar - I don't know if it is the same throughout India.

    In November, I visited the Andaman Islands where mobile connectivity is extremely poor, BSNL being the best network. Thus, I purchased a BSNL sim which was relatively expensive & required copies of several documents plus a return visit to the vendor 24 hours later for activation.

    Also, during my 3 month stint in India a friend gave me of one his Jio sims [3 sims allocated to each Adhaar card holder, minimum age 18]. It was wonderful having unlimited downloads most of the time! I used the sim in a second slot for data only as it was very unreliable for calls. Initially, the Jio sim promotion was 300 rupees for 3 months unlimited data, calls & texts [within India]. When I left India in late December, there was an message on the My Jio app that the offer of free unlimited data, calls & text had been extended till January 2037! I gave my sim to an Indian friend, which has since enabled us to be in daily contact.

  • eneloop on 19/02/2017 - 13:03
    +1

    Who's got Priya Rai's number?

    • shadowarrior on 19/02/2017 - 15:35
      +1

      eh, go old school, for example Nadia Nyce.

  • axlfan on 19/02/2017 - 17:02

    BSNL is like Telstra here…Bloated and pathetic. They have coverage but customer service is non existent.

    • Iwantthatbargain on 25/02/2017 - 14:53

      Telstra is much better than BSNL

      • axlfan on 28/02/2017 - 11:04

        Maybe so but its the BSNL of a developed nation..Bloated and pathetic which is what I meant to say.

  • kusala on 16/04/2017 - 20:33

    Reliance Jio Update

    The Jio sim I had on my previous trip to India cost Rs. 300 for 3 months unlimited data (actually 1 GB day) and unlimited local/national calls & texts. This continued as a free service till 15th April.

    I am currently in India & today recharged the same sim (now owned by a friend) for a further 84 days of unlimited data (84 GB) and local/national calls. This cost Rs. 408 (including Rs. 99 for Prime membership).

    In competition with Reliance Jio, other mobile providers, including Airtel & Vodafone, now have similarly priced 2-3 month unlimited data & call plans.

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