Indian Government has announced free SIM cards for tourists availing e-visa to visit India. The SIM card will be provided by telecom operator BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) which will come pre-loaded with talk-time and data balance.
According to Union Tourism Minister, Mahesh Sharma, the SIM cards will have Rs. 50 talk-time and 50MB data for surfing internet at free-of-cost. It will facilitate tourists coming from foreign lands to communicate with their acquaintances ones as soon as they arrive, said Mahesh Sharma.
“Also, they can get information in their own language using our 24×7 Tourist Helpline, which provides service in 12 foreign languages. A Russian speaking or Japanese speaking tourist can use the helpline easily,” he added further.
The service is restricted to e-visa holders as government can access their complete information before they arrive. However, the government is working on making the SIM card available for those coming on traditional tourist visa as well, said Vinod Zutshi, Tourism Secretary.
This facility is currently available for tourists arriving on Indira Gandhi International Airport located in Delhi. The service will later be rolled out to remaining 15 international airports across the country, said Union Tourism Minister. Currently, e-visa can be availed by citizens from more than 160 countries.