Apple’s move to make its new iPhone Air e-Sim only has thrown the spotlight on e-Sim adoption among Indian smartphone users.
Even as Indian subscribers predominantly use the physical sim cards, the e-Sim, (embedded subscriber identity module) adoption is growing and is expected to hit further highs in 2025, as per analysts and e-Sim providers.
IoT devices
e-Sim is a digital Sim chip built directly into devices eliminating the need for a plastic sim card. Besides smartphones, IoT devices, smartwatches and Tablets too use e-Sims. It also resolves hassles like Sim corruption and theft.
As per estimates sourced from Counterpoint Research, share of e-Sim-powered phones in total smartphones stood at 11 per cent in 2023 and grew to 13 per cent for 2024 largely driven by the premium segment of smartphones such as Apple and Samsung. This number stood at 22 per cent share in 2023 and 26 per cent in 2024.
The penetration of e-Sims in India is expected to further rise in 2025 as more mid-range models of Xiaomi, Oppo and others too introduce e-Sim powered models, as per Counterpoint analysis.
“A better user experience and digital activation process without needing to go to the store is among the biggest advantages of e-Sims. In India, the major telecom players all already provide e-Sims and BSNL too has a roadmap for it,” Varun Gupta, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said.
Apple-Samsung
“Globally, more than 50 per cent of e-Sims are on Apple iPhones with Samsung being the next biggest,” he adds.
He notes that international travel use case is also driving more Indians to opt for e-Sims on a temporary basis being more economical than a international roaming.
“The off-take for e-Sims has been better for the last few years. Likely, once the market moves away from Sims, it’ll move towards e-Sims,” an industry stakeholder, said. Apple’s iPhone17 series is the first positive trigger for people to move to e-Sims, they added.
India’s telcos on their part too have been promoting the use of e-Sims.
Airtel has been encouraging users to switch to e-Sims for a few years now. In fact, Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, Bharti Airtel even wrote to users about the benefits of e-Sims when it entered the market.
Digital first
“In these times of digital first lifestyles, where mobiles, tablets and watches are all interconnected, the e-Sim will provide seamless connectivity for you,” he said in the note.
Similarly, Vi allows customers to upgrade to e-Sim directly through the My Vi app, removing the need for store visits or manual interventions. In the latest earnings call, the telco said it has enhanced its e-Sim strategy by partnering with Airtel, enabling dual SIM functionality to support resilient, future-ready enterprise deployments.
“e-Sims remove the need for physical cards, allow multiple profiles, and enable sleeker designs, which consumers increasingly value,” Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Canalys (now part of Omdia), said.
“The downside is perceived complexity in activation compared to slotting in a Sim card, but as operators streamline digital journeys, these frictions are being ironed out,” he added. In India, it is today restricted to premium devices as mid-tier vendors often skip hybrid e-Sim models because they add $2-$3 to costs, he added.
Published on September 14, 2025
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