Before you start

Passport and valid visa
Proof of Pune address
Passport photographs
An employer letter, university bonafide letter or local reference

Step-by-step

1
Use an official operator store
Airtel, Jio and Vi company stores process foreign nationals routinely. Small kiosks often cannot, or do it incorrectly, which surfaces later as a deactivated number.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Students should bring a bonafide letter
A letter from the university confirming enrolment and address is widely accepted where an employer letter would be for a worker, and university-adjacent stores expect it.
In personWho: You
3
Expect validity tied to your visa
SIMs issued to foreign nationals carry a limited validity linked to visa duration, extended once documentation is re-verified.
In personWho: You
4
Complete verification promptly
There is usually a verification call or address check after issuance; missing it deactivates the SIM.
In personWho: You
5
Link the number to your bank for UPI
Your Indian number is the key to UPI and bank one-time passwords, and it must be the number registered with your bank.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Buy a generous data plan
India has among the lowest mobile data prices in the world, and high-allowance plans cost a few hundred rupees a month.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and valid visa
FRRO registration certificate
Proof of Pune address
Passport photographs
Employer letter, university bonafide letter or local reference

Things most newcomers don’t know

A university bonafide letter substitutes for an employer letter.

Operators want evidence that a foreign national is genuinely resident and locatable. For students, a bonafide letter from the university confirming enrolment and address serves that purpose, and stores near Pune's campuses process them constantly. Arriving without one causes an unnecessary second trip.

Source: community-reported

Losing the number locks you out of payments, not just calls.

Indian financial life runs on the mobile number: UPI, one-time passwords, bank alerts. A deactivated SIM means you cannot pay for things or access your account.

Source: community-reported

This is among the strictest SIM regimes in this app.

India requires passport, visa, photographs, address proof and often a reference plus verification. Several other countries covered here require nothing at all for prepaid.

Source: Department of Telecommunications

Data is cheap enough to change how you live.

High-allowance plans cost a few hundred rupees a month, making tethering and video calling economically trivial.

Source: community-reported