Free India SIM card
This item appears on page 49 of the April 2017 issue.
Visitors entering India with an e-Tourist visa (to apply, indiavisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html) are eligible for a free cell phone SIM card that also includes phone call credits and 50 megabytes of data for free. A user will be charged for any calls made or data used only after the credits run out. The card will give the visitor an Indian phone number during his visit, which will allow him to contact local and national services.
As of press time, the SIM card was available to visitors arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi, with plans to expand the offer to 15 other airports.
To receive the SIM card, a visitor must give copies of his passport and e-Tourist visa to a BSNL representative at the airport. (BSNL is the India-owned telecommunications company whose network is connected to the SIM cards.) This information will be used to bill users for any calls or data above the amount granted.