Global tourists flying to India could be in for a surprise gift on arrival — a pre-activated local SIM card. The NDA government has set up a committee to finalise the plan to help tourists arriving on e-visas gain immediate access to mobile connectivity.
A decision to provide SIM cards for the duration of their stay was taken at a meeting between Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday.
“Currently, it takes a foreign tourist a minimum of four-six hours to get a SIM card activated. We are thinking of giving them a pre-activated SIM card with some balance in it, maybe Rs. 50, as part of the welcome kit,” said an official. The kit will include a map of the country with suggested tourist circuits and details of a tourist helpline. A five-member committee has also been formed to work out the modalities, said another official. It will be headed by Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi. The scheme is likely to be announced in a month, before the Union Budget, the official said.
Launched in November 2014, e-Tourist Visa is now available for citizens of 113 countries arriving at 16 airports. The government is also mulling over extending e-visa to seaports. In 2015, a total of 4,45,300 tourists arrived in India on e-Tourist Visa.
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