Free local SIM for foreign tourists on arrival

International visitors to India availing the electronic Tourist Visa (eTV) facility would soon get SIM cards on their arrival in the country. The move is not only aimed at attracting more foreign tourists to make India a global holiday destination but also to address security concerns, officials privy to the development said.

The proposal was made by the Ministry of Tourism to give a boost to the sector in the country by sending a message that international tourists can plan a hassle-free visit to India. The idea has received a nod from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and an inter-ministerial committee comprising officials from tourism, home, telecom and finance ministries has been formed to finalise the modalities.

Sources said there is a view that only BSNL SIM cards should be provided since it's a state-owned telecom company but a final decision is awaited.

"It will make things hassle free for international tourists as it's not easy to procure a SIM for foreigners in the country. It can also be helpful from the security point of view," said a government official.

It is proposed that the SIM cards will be part of the tourist kit that will also include maps, tourism booklets and information about tourist destinations, guidelines relating to dos and don'ts, details regarding whom to contact in case of any emergency.

The eTV facility by the Electronic Travel Authorisation enables the prospective visitor to apply for an Indian visa from his or her home country online without visiting the Indian mission and also pay the visa fee online. Once approved, the applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India and he or she can travel with a print out of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country.

In April 2015, the Union home ministry replaced the visa on arrival scheme with electronic Tourist Visa.

The old name led to a presumption that visa was granted on arrival but that was not the case. One had to apply online and the authorisation was done electronically.

The e-tourist visa is currently given to citizens of 113 countries and government plans to raise it to 150 countries by March 31, 2016. The facility is available at 16 airports across the country.

According to an official estimate, during January- November of 2015, a total of 3,41,683 tourists arrived on etourist visa compared to 24,963 during the corresponding period of previous year, registering a growth of 1268.8 per cent.

Tourists availing maximum number of the e-tourist visa facility were from the UK during November 2015, followed by the US, Russian Federation, France, Germany, and Australia.