The Ultimate Guide to Sending Recharge to India

For work, security or just to see the world, people leave their homelands and travel the world. UN data shows that India has the world’s largest diaspora. Our mission at Ding is to keep people who’ve moved connected to home.

Here’s everything you need to know when sending a prepaid mobile recharge and more back home to India.

What Mobile Operators Can I Send Recharge to in India?

You can send mobile recharges online to any phone network in India from anywhere in the world using Ding.

The biggest network in India is Jio which has over 430 million customers. The next biggest network is Airtel with over 310 million customers. The rest of India’s mobile customers are spread across networks such as BSNL, MTNL, and Vi.

For all these networks, you can either send a top-up, also referred to as a recharge, or you can send a plan.

A top-up or recharge is a simple purchase of credit that gets applied to the phone number in India. As minutes, texts, or data are used, the credit will deplete in line with network charges.

When purchasing a plan, you are buying a bundle of usage. There is typically a wide range of bundles to suit different needs, whether that be minutes, texts or data.

Typically, we mostly see our customers purchasing plans for Indian mobile operators.

Picking the Best Recharge to Send to India

This year, Indian mobile operators increased the price of their plans which means your family and friends will appreciate you sending them a recharge more than ever. One you know their mobile operator and have their mobile number, you can send them a prepaid plan recharge. Let’s look at each of the networks.

Airtel’s Minimum Recharge Plan and Best Value Plan

Right now, Airtel’s cheapest plan is INR 199. This is valid for 28 days giving unlimited calls and 2GB of data.

While we offer a wide range of recharge plans and options for Airtel, we typically see most customers buy INR 409. Again this includes unlimited calls, but instead of 2GB of data for 28 days, you get 2.5GB of data per day. That means instead of just 2GB of data to use in 28 days, you can give your family and friends nearly 70GB of data total in 28 days. It’s a great value recharge to send to Airtel customers in India.

You can also read our full guide on how to send recharge to Airtel India which has other useful information.

Jio’s Minimum Recharge Plan and Best Value Plan

Jio’s minimum recharge plan though Ding is the Unlimited Data + Subscriptions plan. While Unlimited Data is tempting, it’s important to note that just the first 10GB of access is High-Speed Data. After that speed and experience will be limited to 64Kbps.

That’s why most customers find Jio’s INR 570 1.5GB per day plan which also includes subscriptions as being the operator's best value. This also includes unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day, adding to the overall value of this Jio recharge plan.

Vi’s Minimum Recharge Plan and Best Value Plan

Vi’s cheapest plan gives Unlimited Calls and 1GB data per day for 28 days. The most popular Vi recharge plan that we sell is Unlimited Calls and 6GB of data. It’s valid for 84 days and costs INR 509.

Vi is run by Vodafone, so if someone asks you for a Vodafone recharge this is what they are looking for.

Send an eGift to India

You can now send eGifts to India from anywhere in the world for special occasions or simply to show loved ones you care. eGifts are digital gift cards, delivered immediately, and redeemable at a wide range of stores and services.

For example, you can help people back home in India buy groceries with a Nature’s Basket eGift, treat them to a McDonald's meal, send them an Amazon eGift, or even a travel eGift.

Ding eGifts are available in a range of values and are both instantly delivered and redeemable.

Why Send Recharge to India With Ding?

Ding has been connecting diasporas around the world to their family and friends back home since 2006. We offer a quick and reliable way to send mobile recharges to Airtel, Jio, Vi, and more from anywhere in the world.

Aside from offering easy ways to send money home, such as phone plan recharges and eGifts, our customer service is also available 24/7 to assist you.

Ding also offers a range of payment methods to suit your needs, including both credit and debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal.

This means you can order in confidence knowing that in the unlikely event you have a question or issue, we’re here to help.

That’s how simple it is to keep a loved one’s phone recharged in India. If you are looking to keep your own Indian number active, check out our own Anandita’s story about how she uses Ding to keep her own Indian phone number active while living in Ireland. This lets her access banking and use her number when going back home.

To get started with sending a recharge to India, visit our India country page.