India Airport Arrivals: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Goa

With an India eSIM installed before your flight, you are online the moment you switch off airplane mode — before immigration, baggage claim and the taxi queue. That matters in India, where airport Wi-Fi usually asks for a one-time code sent by SMS and the first thing a driver or hotel wants is your WhatsApp. Here is what to do before you land, the first minutes on the ground, and the main ways into town from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Goa’s two airports.

Before you land

• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, choose it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. The plan does not start until it first connects in India.
• Save key documents offline: your visa or e-Visa confirmation, the first hotel booking with its address and phone number, and your flight details. Screenshots work fine.
• Send your flight number on WhatsApp if your hotel or a driver is collecting you, and agree where to meet — many Indian airports keep greeters outside the terminal doors rather than in the arrivals hall.
• Install ride apps and sign in at home. Uber works with your home number in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Flying into Goa? Download GoaMiles, the state-backed taxi app, and try registering before you travel.
• Plan for some cash. Airports have ATMs and exchange counters; a few hundred rupees in small notes helps with tips, snacks and auto-rickshaws later.

The first minutes after landing

1. Switch off airplane mode once you are allowed to.
2. Check that the eSIM is selected for mobile data and that data roaming is on for the eSIM line.
3. Give the phone a minute to connect to Airtel. If nothing happens, switch airplane mode on and off once.
4. Message your hotel or driver on WhatsApp that you have landed, and share your live location if they are meeting you.

Indian airports offer free Wi-Fi, but logging in usually means entering a mobile number and a one-time code sent by SMS. With a foreign number that can take extra steps — your home SIM has to receive the code, or you visit an information desk — so treat airport Wi-Fi as a fallback rather than a plan.

Delhi and Mumbai

Delhi — Indira Gandhi International (DEL)

Check your ticket for your terminal. Terminal 3 has its own station on the Airport Express Line (the Orange Line), a fast metro to New Delhi railway station that also stops at Aerocity, the airport hotel district; Terminal 1 is served by the Magenta Line instead. Official prepaid taxi counters, run under police supervision, sit in the arrivals halls: you pay a fixed fare for your destination and get a slip with the car details. App cabs such as Uber pick up from signed zones outside the terminal — your app shows the exact point.

The Delhi region also has a newer airport, Noida International (DXN) at Jewar, a long way from central Delhi. If your ticket says DXN rather than DEL, plan your transfer accordingly.

Mumbai — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)

International flights use Terminal 2. Both terminals now have underground stations on Metro Line 3 (the Aqua Line), which runs south through the Bandra Kurla Complex to Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai — useful for avoiding the city’s notorious traffic. Prepaid taxi counters in the arrivals halls sell fixed fares for the black-and-yellow taxis and air-conditioned cabs, and app cabs use designated pickup zones.

Mumbai also has a second airport, Navi Mumbai International (NMI), across the harbor. It opened for commercial flights at the end of 2025, so double-check which airport your ticket shows; the two are far apart.

Bengaluru and Chennai

Bengaluru — Kempegowda International (BLR)

The airport is well north of the city, so allow an hour or more to reach central Bengaluru, longer at rush hour. The city bus company BMTC runs air-conditioned Vayu Vajra buses from both terminals to hubs such as Majestic (the central bus station) and Electronic City. Official airport taxis wait at the taxi rank, and app cabs pick up from signed zones — follow the signs for app-based pickups after baggage claim.

Chennai — Chennai International (MAA)

Chennai is one of the easiest airports in India to leave by metro: the Chennai Metro Blue Line has an Airport station linked to the terminals by a walkway, with trains to Guindy, Egmore and Chennai Central. Prepaid taxi counters in the arrivals hall offer fixed fares, and app cabs use designated pickup zones.

Goa: two airports, GOI and GOX

Goa has two airports, and they are far apart, so check the code on your ticket:

• Dabolim (GOI) is near Vasco da Gama in the middle of the state, closer to South Goa’s beaches.
• Manohar International (GOX) is at Mopa in the far north, opened in 2023 and closer to the North Goa beaches. Transfers from Mopa to South Goa take a long time.

Uber and Ola do not operate in Goa. At both airports, use the prepaid taxi counter in the arrivals area or book through GoaMiles, the state-backed taxi app. Many beach hotels and villas also arrange pickups — confirm the driver’s name and number on WhatsApp before you fly.

If your eSIM does not connect

• Check that data roaming is on for the eSIM and that it is your mobile-data line.
• Switch airplane mode on and off, or restart the phone.
• Turn off automatic network selection and choose Airtel manually.
• Make sure you are not still connected to a slow airport Wi-Fi network that is overriding mobile data.

The complete India eSIM guide has more fixes, and you can contact us with your order email — we reply within 24 hours. Before your trip, also look at the essential apps for India, and if you are still deciding how to get online, compare a local SIM and a travel eSIM or browse the India eSIM plans.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a SIM card at Indian airports?

Some international airports have phone-company counters, but you need your passport, visa and a photo, and activation can take a while. An eSIM installed at home lets you skip the counter entirely.

Does Uber work at Indian airports?

Yes, at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, from signed pickup zones that the app points you to. In Goa, Uber and Ola are not available, so use the prepaid taxi counter or the GoaMiles app.

Which Goa airport will I land at?

Look at the airport code on your ticket: GOI is Dabolim near Vasco da Gama, and GOX is Manohar International at Mopa in North Goa. Book your transfer from the right one, because the drive between them is long.