Best eSIM Mumbai: compare, buy online and travel connected

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Mumbai is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and one of the most important cities to visit during your stay in India. This city has impressive sites and touristic hotspots that will leave you amazed if it’s your first visit. However, if you don’t want to get lost in the immensity of this city, we recommend that you secure your internet connection in India with the eSIM for Mumbai before traveling.

With this new eSIM, you can forget about Asia’s expensive and the somewhat annoying roaming service. You’ll be able to connect to the internet at an affordable price compared to what your cellular provider offers you, and even what other products offer you, like Pocket WiFi. Without further ado, let’s get started!

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Requirements to install the eSIM card for Mumbai

Before showing you how you can buy your eSIM for your trip to Mumbai, you need to know that, since this product is quite new, there are a couple of requirements that you have to meet to use it correctly. This is because these eSIMs work thanks to a chip that is already integrated into your cellphone. If this chip is not in your device, you won’t be able to use this product.

  • You must have a smartphone compatible with eSIM technology. To find out if your smartphone is compatible, we recommend reading the list of cellphones compatible with eSIM.
  • Your email service must be active. From there, your eSIM will be delivered to you using a QR code.
  • Once you have your eSIM and carry out the activation process, remember that you must have a prior internet connection to activate the eSIM correctly.
  • The eSIM can only be activated once you arrive in Mumbai.

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Mobile eSIM card providers to travel to Mumbai

international travel esim for india
Official website of the eSIM provider for Mumbai. Source: Holafly

Do you meet the above requirements? Are you interested in taking the next step to connect to the internet in India through this new data eSIM? Well, the next thing you should do is contact an eSIM provider. These eSIM providers can be both local and international. In the case of international providers, you can get an eSIM for multiple destinations such as the eSIM for Dubai or the eSIM for Sri Lanka, quite famous destinations near Mumbai. These eSIMs have a specific data plan and they usually have a fairly simple purchase process. Yet, their validity period is pretty short.

In the case of local providers, they offer eSIM to their residents. Therefore, their validity period is quite long. But their purchase process is complex, time-consuming, and somewhat stressful. For these reasons, it’s not usually recommended for travelers. In this case, in Mumbai, you can find the operator Jio.

In the case of Mumbai, the providers are both local and international and are as follows:

Rates and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to Mumbai

Even though both providers can offer you an eSIM to connect to the internet during your trip to Mumbai, the rate and data plan are different with terms and conditions. Therefore, if you’re interested in buying an eSIM with any of them, it’s important that you take a look at the following comparative chart. There we will show you what each option’s rate and data plan are like. However, remember that local providers have a postpaid data plan, and therefore, they are designed to pay every month. Whereas international eSIM plans will only charge you once.

Holafly plans and prices in Mumbai

  • 7 GB for 15 days at $44 USD

Jio plans and prices in Mumbai

  • 1 GB for 30 days at $70

Comparison of eSIM providers for Mumbai

ProviderDataDaysPrice (USD)LanguageSales channels
Holafly7 GB15$44Spanish, English, French, and GermanWeb
Jio2.5 GB365$37EnglishWeb, Play Store, App Store
Table 1. Comparison of eSIM providers for Mumbai

Features of the eSIM to travel to Mumbai

It’s normal that you don’t know everything that these eSIMs have to offer you, since it’s a fairly new product. Therefore, if you want to broaden your perspective of eSIMs, we recommend reading the following list of general features. Certainly, you’ll learn more about what these devices can or can’t do for you during your vacation.

  • Most of the eSIMs offered by international providers only offer cellular data. As a result, if you want to make a call, you’ll have to use apps that use data such as WhatsApp or Messenger.
  • In the case of Apple smartphones, that is, iPhone XS and more recent models, once the eSIM is activated, it will become fully dual SIM. This means you can use the eSIM and the SIM card at the same time.
  • The eSIM plans can be fully cumulative, that is, you can have several eSIMs on your cellphone, but you can only use one at a time.
  • You can only install them once after purchase, so avoid uninstalling your eSIM at all costs.
  • With some providers, you can enjoy additional benefits, such as the Holafly eSIM for Mumbai, which allows you to share the internet with your friends.
  • As it is a digital product, package delivery fees and wait time are a thing of the past.

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Mobile coverage of the eSIM to travel to Mumbai

We know that the data rate is one of the most important aspects when deciding which of the above providers to buy your eSIM with. In addition to this, another aspect that you should consider is the coverage that your eSIM will offer you once you arrive in Mumbai. This aspect is so important because, no matter how much data you have, if you don’t have good coverage, you won’t be able to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

To prevent this from happening to you during your holidays in Mumbai, the first thing you should do is know which cellular network you’re going to connect to. In the case of the Holafly international eSIM for Mumbai, it connects to the Airtel cellular network, one of the best providers in this country. So, you won’t experience any problems in terms of coverage.

Airtel 4G coverage map in Mumbai

airtel coverage map mumbai
Airtel 4G coverage map in Mumbai. Source: GSMA

Local mobile eSIM providers in Mumbai

As we mentioned before, there’s currently a local cellular carrier in Mumbai that will allow you to connect to the internet through their offered eSIMs. For this, the first thing you should do is go to their website, or preferably to one of their physical branches, and request a postpaid or prepaid data plan. Once you select the data plan, you can choose if you prefer a SIM or an eSIM. You’ll select the eSIM, and they will take the lead for the rest of the process. However, remember that for this you’ll need to provide some sort of ID or documentation, which could be your passport, foreign ID, etc.

FAQ about eSIM for Mumbai

If you have any doubts, then we will answer the most frequently asked questions that travelers usually have regarding the eSIM for Mumbai.

What other operators work in Mumbai?

Despite the variety of operators in India, currently, the only ones that stand out are Jio and Airtel. In the case of Airtel, they’re known for being the one with the best coverage. While Jio is the first and only provider that offers eSIM to their customers.

What happens if I use up all my data?

Once the data plan or the validity period ends, the internet connection will be lost.

When does the eSIM data plan begin to count down?

The days of validity start from the moment you activate your eSIM. Remember that to activate it you must be in Mumbai and have an internet connection.

What other options do I have to connect to the internet in Mumbai?

Other options can provide you with data during your stay in Mumbai. However, these are usually much more expensive than the eSIM. Among these options, we have roaming and Pocket WiFi.

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