Travelling out of India has one complication that most guides skip: your Indian number is not just a phone number. It receives the one-time passwords for your bank, your UPI apps, your airline check-in and half the websites you will need while abroad. Any plan that takes your number out of the phone creates a problem at the worst moment.
Why a local SIM abroad is awkward
Buying a SIM at the destination is cheap, but on a single-SIM phone it replaces your Indian line. No number, no OTP, no bank transaction. On a dual-SIM phone you keep the number, but you are still queueing at an airport counter with your passport, often at a poor exchange rate.
Why carrier roaming packs are expensive
International roaming packs from Indian carriers are convenient and priced for convenience. They are usually sold per day or per week, with a fixed data allowance, and the cost per gigabyte is far above what a travel data plan costs for the same destination. If your trip is longer than the pack, you buy another pack.
What a travel eSIM changes
A travel eSIM is a second line. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone, keeps your number and keeps receiving OTPs over the home network. The eSIM carries the data. You install it on Wi-Fi before you fly, and switch it on when you land.
Two things to know before you buy:
- Travel plans are data only. Calls and SMS still go through your Indian SIM and carry your carrier’s roaming rates, so use WhatsApp for calls and let SMS arrive as it does at home.
- Your phone must be eSIM-capable and unlocked. Dial *#06# to check; an EID means yes.
Keep your home line’s data switched off while you travel. Incoming SMS still works; it is the data that would cost you.
Paying in rupees
Vayufly runs its checkout through Razorpay, so you can pay with UPI, an Indian debit or credit card, or a wallet, in rupees, without hunting for a card that works on a foreign gateway. Prices are shown in your currency before you confirm.
A short checklist before an international trip
- Confirm your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.
- Buy the plan for your destination and install it at home, on Wi-Fi.
- Leave the travel line switched off until you land, so validity does not start early.
- Turn off mobile data on your Indian SIM, and leave the line itself on for OTPs.
- On landing, switch the travel eSIM on, turn on data roaming for that line and set it as your data line.
Popular destinations for travellers from India, with live prices: Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan and United Kingdom. The full list is on the destinations page.