Prices, benefits and coverage can vary by destination, customer account and partner network. Travellers should confirm the applicable benefits with the provider before purchasing.
International travel by Indians continues to grow. Government data show that Indian nationals made approximately 30.89 million international departures in 2024.
The UAE was the leading destination with about 7.79 million departures from India, followed by Saudi Arabia at 3.42 million, the United States at 2.14 million and Thailand at 1.91 million. These represent departures rather than the number of unique travellers.
For anyone travelling abroad, connectivity generally comes down to three requirements: mobile data, continued access to an Indian number and, in some cases, a phone number that can be used locally at the destination.
International roaming packs from Indian operators address the first two requirements.
Travel eSIMs can provide additional data, while a smaller category of eSIM products also includes voice and messaging facilities.
Jio, Airtel and Vi publish international roaming rates and packs for their subscribers.
However, standard charges without a pack can vary significantly depending on the destination, partner network, type of service and whether the customer is on a prepaid or postpaid connection.
Some published standard roaming tariffs charge data in small units such as 10KB. Even a rate that appears small on this basis can become expensive when converted into megabytes or gigabytes.
For example, a tariff of Rs 6.5 per 10KB would translate to approximately Rs 665 per MB and around Rs 6.8 lakh for 1,024MB.
A 50MB background synchronisation could cost more than Rs 33,000 if that rate applies to the customer’s destination and connection.
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Jio’s lower standard tariff in certain destinations may work out to approximately Rs 2 per MB.
However, even at this rate, consuming 1GB without a pack could cost more than Rs 2,000.
These examples are not universal tariffs for every country. International roaming charges must be checked for the specific destination before departure.
The safest approach is to activate international roaming in advance, purchase an appropriate pack when required and turn off mobile data on any SIM that should not be used for roaming data.
International Roaming Packs From Jio, Airtel and Vi
Indian operators now offer destination-specific or multi-country roaming packs covering voice, mobile data and SMS.
| Operator and destination | Price | Validity | Published benefits |
|---|
| Jio – United States region | Rs 1,555 | 15 days | 12GB data, 150 voice minutes and 100 SMS |
| Jio – UAE/Gulf pack | Rs 1,598 | 14 days | 3GB data and 300 voice minutes |
| Airtel prepaid IR pack | Rs 1,198 | 10 days | 3GB data, 200 voice minutes and 20 SMS |
| Airtel prepaid IR pack | Rs 2,998 | 30 days | 10GB data, 300 voice minutes and 100 SMS |
| Vi iRoamFree pack | Rs 5,195 | 14 days | Benefits depend on the destination category |
Jio’s Rs 1,555 pack is particularly competitive for eligible travel across the United States and other destinations covered by the pack.
Travellers must check the exact country list and pack name displayed by Jio during purchase.
Airtel offers a common international roaming pack structure across 184 countries.
Promotional benefits, including additional data, may occasionally be available to eligible customers, but these should be verified through the Airtel app before recharge.
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Vi classifies destinations as unlimited, discounted or non-pack countries.
The Rs 5,195 pack can provide unlimited benefits in countries classified by Vi as unlimited destinations.
Fixed quotas or discounted rates may apply elsewhere, while standard roaming charges can continue to apply in non-pack countries.
All roaming packs remain subject to operator terms, supported partner networks and fair-usage conditions.
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Will Bank OTPs Reach an Indian SIM Abroad?
Jio and Vi state that incoming SMS is not charged while the customer is using international roaming.
However, the Indian connection must remain active and international roaming must be enabled for the SIM to register on a supported foreign network.
Customers should confirm Airtel’s activation and pack requirements through the Airtel app or customer support before departure.
Receiving an SMS may be free, but it does not mean that the entire setup has no cost.
A prepaid connection still needs sufficient service validity, and roaming activation requirements can differ between operators.
A practical dual-SIM configuration is:
1. Keep the Indian SIM active with international roaming enabled so that it can register on a foreign network.
2. Disable mobile data, data roaming and automatic mobile-data switching on the Indian SIM.
3. Use the travel eSIM or secondary SIM as the default connection for mobile data.
4. Avoid answering calls on the Indian SIM unless incoming calls are included in the pack.
Incoming OTP delivery can also depend on the bank, sender, foreign network and roaming configuration.
No provider can guarantee that every OTP or short-code message will be delivered in every country.
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Can UPI Be Used From Outside India?
UPI generally remains associated with the mobile number registered with the user’s bank account. Travellers who continue using their Indian bank account should therefore keep the registered number active.
Eligible NRIs with NRE or NRO accounts may also use supported international mobile numbers for UPI, subject to the country, bank and UPI application supporting the facility.
Travellers should verify their bank’s requirements before changing a registered mobile number or relying on UPI as their only payment method abroad.
What a Data-Only Travel eSIM Provides
Most travel eSIMs are designed primarily for mobile data. They allow a traveller to install a digital SIM profile, select it as the default data connection and connect through a supported network after reaching the destination.
A data-only eSIM does not normally provide:
- A mobile phone number
- Traditional voice calls
- Standard SMS facilities
- Guaranteed access to SMS verification codes
Users can continue using WhatsApp, email, navigation, internet calling and other data-based services, while retaining their Indian SIM separately.
Travel eSIM pricing can sometimes provide more data than an Indian international roaming pack at a similar price.
However, the comparison depends on the country, network, validity, speed restrictions, hotspot support and whether voice and SMS are required.
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When a Number-Enabled eSIM Could Be Useful
Some travel eSIM products include voice, SMS or an additional phone number.
A destination number may be useful for longer-stay travellers such as students, workers and digital nomads.
Certain employers, universities, landlords, banks and local applications may require or prefer a domestic number.
This requirement is not universal. Some services accept international numbers, email authentication or app-based verification, while others insist on a number issued in the destination country.
Simbye says it offers selected eSIM plans that include phone-number functionality alongside data.
Its published offerings include plans for the United States, the United Kingdom and Thailand, as well as European plans carrying a French +33 number.
According to the provider, examples available at the time of checking included:
A US plan starting at $24.99 for 10 days, with unlimited data, calls and texts within the United States
A 30-day US option priced at $44.99
A UK plan with a +44 number and 40GB of data from $21.99
A Thailand plan with a +66 number and unlimited data from $19.99
Selected European plans with a French +33 number and international calling minutes
Network availability, voice handling and SMS facilities differ by product.
Users should check whether calls and messages operate through the phone’s native dialler and messaging application or through an app-based interface.
Simbye also says that its app allows users to configure a multi-country data eSIM by selecting up to ten destinations, a data allowance between 5GB and 50GB and a required duration.
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Verification Codes Are Not Guaranteed
Having a phone number does not guarantee compatibility with every bank, application or verification platform.
Some services may block:
- Virtual or app-based numbers
- Newly activated numbers
- Numbers issued outside the required country
- International or roaming numbers
- Short-code messages
- Numbers that cannot be identified as conventional mobile connections
Customers considering a number-enabled eSIM should confirm support for their intended use before purchasing.
The service should not be relied upon as the only method of accessing a bank account or other critical service.
A French +33 number, for example, may support regular calls and messages across several countries, but it will not satisfy a service that specifically requires a UAE, Saudi Arabian or another domestic number.
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Which Setup Makes Sense?
| Traveller requirement | Practical option |
|---|
| Short UAE holiday with light usage | Jio’s Rs 1,598 pack if 3GB is sufficient, or a UAE data eSIM |
| Two-week US trip | Jio’s Rs 1,555 pack, or a US eSIM if more data or an additional US number is required |
| Student spending several months in the US or UK | A local SIM or suitable number-enabled eSIM, while keeping the Indian SIM active for banking and other India-linked services |
| Long-term Gulf worker | A locally issued mobile connection is generally the safer option when a domestic number and identity-verified services are required |
| Traveller primarily needing maps and messaging | A data-only travel eSIM alongside the Indian SIM |
| Traveller needing calls and SMS | An operator roaming pack, local SIM or number-enabled eSIM after checking the applicable limitations |
International Roaming or Travel eSIM?
There is no single option that will suit every traveller.
An Indian international roaming pack offers the convenience of retaining the existing number for calls, SMS and data. For short journeys and light usage, packs such as Jio’s US offering can be competitive.
A data-only eSIM may be more suitable when the traveller needs a larger data allowance and does not require traditional calling or SMS on the secondary connection.
For longer stays, a local SIM or an eSIM with an appropriate phone number may offer additional flexibility. Travellers who need access to banking, government or identity-verified services should confirm whether the number type is accepted before relying on it.
The final decision should be based on the destination, duration, expected data consumption, calling requirements and whether a domestic phone number is genuinely necessary.
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FAQs
Will bank OTPs reach an Indian number abroad?
Incoming SMS is generally not charged by Indian operators while roaming. However, the connection must remain active, international roaming must be enabled and the SIM must successfully register on a supported foreign network. OTP delivery also depends on the bank and network involved.
Can I use UPI while travelling abroad?
UPI can continue to work with the mobile number registered with the user’s Indian bank account, subject to the bank’s authentication requirements. Eligible NRIs may also use supported international numbers with participating banks and UPI apps.
Can a travel eSIM receive SMS?
Most travel eSIMs are data-only. An eSIM can receive conventional calls or SMS only when the selected product includes compatible voice, messaging and number facilities.
Will an eSIM number receive every verification code?
No. Banks, applications and online services may reject certain virtual, newly issued, international or app-based numbers. Verification-code delivery should never be treated as guaranteed.
Is a travel eSIM always cheaper than international roaming?
Not always. Travel eSIMs can provide more data in some destinations, while operator roaming packs may offer better value when the traveller also needs calls, SMS and continued use of the Indian number.
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