The Indian government will hand out free SIM cards to foreign travelers with electronic tourist visas at 12 Indian airports. These pre-loaded SIM cards come as safety measures for memorable traveling in India.
This is indeed welcome news for foreign tourists coming to India. E-visas are available for tourists from 161 countries and will be automatically issued a SIM card along with a welcome kit includes a “dos and don’ts” list, maps, and emergency contact information. This scheme will be formally launched by home minister Rajnath Singh. The SIM cards will be issued through BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), a state-owned telecommunications company that’s the sixth-largest mobile service provider in the country.
The SIM card will be valid for 30 days. The data and talk time will be valid for use in India, and not for international use. To quote Vinod Zutshi, Tourism Secretary, “Foreign tourists face problems while procuring a Sim card, making them dependent on telephone booths. The cards can be recharged as and when required and will be functional from the moment they step out of the airport.”
This project was proposed by Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma on World Tourism Day on 27th September. The service has been started from 26th December 2016. This scheme has been started to project India as a global tourist destination for foreign travelers and addressing their security concerns. This new initiative will boost tourism at global level.
