New SIM card price in India, and what you need to get one

What does a new SIM card cost in India?

Usually nothing for the SIM itself. On 10 November 2026 Jio, Airtel and Vi all said a new prepaid SIM was free, and all three offered free home delivery. The real new SIM card price is the first recharge, because every operator activates the SIM with a plan.

We did not find a current plan list on Jio's plans page when we read it, and Airtel's prepaid page named no plan prices, so we are not quoting recharge amounts here. Vi's self-KYC page showed one postpaid example, Vi Max Family 871 at Rs 999 a month plus GST.

This is desk research from the operators' own pages and the Department of Telecommunications' instructions. We have not bought a SIM for this page.

Jio new SIM: price, documents and delivery

Jio's FAQ says getting a Jio SIM is completely free, but you must activate an applicable plan when you collect it. You can book home delivery on jio.com or go to a Jio Store or retailer.

For documents, Jio lists original Aadhaar, voter ID or passport, any of which can serve as both proof of identity and proof of address. For eKYC activation, Jio says only your fingerprint and Aadhaar details are needed. Jio's consumer charter adds that where tele-verification is required, you must complete it within 30 days of signing the form, or Jio can cancel the number without a refund. Our Reliance Jio page covers the network.

Airtel new SIM: what Airtel says

Airtel's prepaid page says there are no extra charges for buying a new SIM, and that the SIM is delivered and activated within 24 hours at home for free. The same page also says activation happens within a few hours of inserting the SIM, so expect anywhere between the two.

Airtel accepts voter ID, driving licence, Aadhaar or passport as proof of identity, and Aadhaar, passport, an electricity bill, voter ID or driving licence as proof of address. You can order through the Airtel Thanks app or the website, or walk into a store. If your phone supports it, our Airtel eSIM guide explains moving the number onto an eSIM afterwards, and the Airtel India page has the rest.

Vi new SIM: self-KYC at home

Vi's self-KYC page says the SIM is provided absolutely free of cost. The flow is: pick a plan, enter your contact details, choose a number, enter your Aadhaar details for digital KYC, then take a selfie with your phone camera. You get an order ID and a delivery date, and pick a contactless delivery slot. The page lists original Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence as accepted documents but gives no activation time. In store, Vi asks for valid identity and address proof. See our Vi page.

BSNL new SIM

BSNL's sites would not load for us on 10 November 2026. Search results quoting BSNL's SAHAJ portal describe online SIM booking with paperless, Aadhaar-based KYC and activation on approval, and BSNL's FAQ says new connections are sold through its customer service centres and authorised distributors. We could not confirm a current SIM price or home delivery. Older BSNL circle pages showed SIM prices and a free-SIM promotion that ended on 31 December 2024; none of those is current enough to quote. Our BSNL page covers the network.

How does eKYC work for a new SIM?

All three private operators' quick routes rely on Aadhaar. Jio's eKYC uses your fingerprint with your Aadhaar details; Vi's uses your Aadhaar details and a selfie. The Department of Telecommunications' digital KYC instructions, dated 3 April 2019 and still on its site, allow a licensee to issue at most two mobile connections a day to one customer through digital KYC, whichever identity document is used.

If you don't have Aadhaar, the operators' pages point you to a store or a delivery agent with an original identity and address document instead.

How to activate a new SIM card

Insert the SIM and wait. Airtel gives a window of a few hours to 24 hours. Jio says some activations need tele-verification, which you must finish within 30 days. Vi gave no figure on the pages we read. If the SIM has not come up after a day, contact the operator through its website or app.

Can a foreign visitor get a new SIM in India?

Yes, but not through the Aadhaar routes above, and with limits on how long the number lasts.

Jio

its consumer charter says a foreign tourist's service is valid for a maximum of three months or until the visa expires, whichever is earlier. Other foreign nationals keep service until their visa expires. Jio also says it may ask for a local reference for foreign customers

Airtel

its foreign national page says the number is valid until your visa validity date. It gives no document list or price

Vi and BSNL

the pages we read did not address foreign visitors

The DoT's digital KYC instructions say the process applies to outstation and foreign customers, with the extra safeguards for them still in force. For an outstation customer, the local reference can be verified by an OTP sent to that person's mobile number. In practice, take your passport and visa to an operator store and expect questions about a local contact. None of the pages we read set out a full checklist for tourists, so confirm at the store.

When is a travel eSIM better than a new Indian SIM?

For a short trip, usually. A travel eSIM needs no KYC, no local reference and no store visit, and works when you land. Our verified prices for India, read on each seller's own site in August 2026, were $13 for Airalo's 5GB over 7 days (13 August), $21 for Nomad's 10GB over 30 days (17 August) and $23.99 for Saily's 10GB over 30 days (16 August). For unlimited data, Holafly charged $39.50 for 7 days (18 August).

A local SIM wins on a long stay, as long as you can clear KYC and the three-month tourist limit fits your trip. Our India hub compares both routes.