In an interview with TimesTech, Sachin Arora, Head of Connectivity & IoT at Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) India, discusses how eSIMs technology is transforming India’s connectivity landscape. From enabling seamless 5G integration and cross-border roaming to driving IoT innovation across sectors like automotive and healthcare, he outlines India’s growing readiness and the collaborative efforts needed between OEMs, operators, and regulators for large-scale adoption.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: How are eSIMs reshaping connectivity in India, particularly in the context of 5G rollout, IoT applications, and cross-border roaming?
Sachin: eSIMs are transforming connectivity in India by enabling remote provisioning and seamless operator switching, essential for the country’s expanding 5G rollout and the proliferation of IoT devices. With the 5G rollout, eSIMs enable seamless device integration into high-speed networks without physical SIM cards, supporting the growing demand for smart devices and connected vehicles. The flexibility to store and switch between multiple network profiles without physically changing SIM cards allows manufacturers and consumers greater ease, especially for devices in smart cities, connected vehicles, and industrial automation. For cross-border roaming, eSIMs allow travelers and IoT devices to download local operator profiles instantly, minimising downtime and ensuring reliable global connectivity.
Technologies like In-Factory Profile Provisioning (IFPP) and the SGP.32 standard further enhance lifecycle management and reduce operational complexity. This is crucial for sectors like agriculture, energy, and industrial automation. For cross-border roaming, eSIMs allow dynamic profile switching, ensuring compliance with local regulations and uninterrupted connectivity for devices in transit, benefiting logistics and automotive industries.
These technologies bring increased security, tamper-resistance, and the ability to scale secure, compliant connectivity, positioning India to take full advantage of the digital future.
TimesTech: What are the biggest challenges in scaling eSIM adoption in India – from consumer awareness and device compatibility to regulatory and security concerns?
Sachin: The biggest challenges in scaling eSIM adoption in India stem from several factors. Consumer awareness remains limited, as many users are still unfamiliar with the concept and benefits of eSIMs. Device compatibility is another hurdle, with most eSIM-enabled devices currently in the premium segment, limiting widespread adoption in the mass market and where legacy devices still rely on older specifications like SGP.02, which are SMS-based and less efficient.
Device compatibility remains a key barrier to eSIM adoption. In the consumer space, most eSIM-enabled devices are still in the premium segment, limiting access for the broader market. Meanwhile, in the M2M segment, many legacy devices continue to rely on older SMS-based standards like SGP.02, which are less efficient and harder to scale compared to newer remote provisioning protocols.
Regulatory and security concerns also play a significant role; ensuring compliance with local data residency laws, protecting user data during remote provisioning, and establishing secure lifecycle management for eSIM profiles require robust frameworks. Additionally, fragmented support from device manufacturers and telecom operators slows unified adoption. Addressing these challenges through industry collaboration, strong security protocols, and regulatory clarity is critical to unlocking the full potential of eSIM technology in India.
TimesTech: How do you see eSIM technology transforming sectors beyond telecom, such as automotive (connected cars), healthcare (remote monitoring), and enterprise IoT?
Sachin: In automotive (connected cars), eSIMs support real-time diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and seamless network switching, which enhances vehicle connectivity and user experience. Technologies like C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) rely on eSIMs for secure, low-latency data exchange between vehicles and infrastructure, enhancing safety, infotainment, and real-time diagnostics.
For enterprise IoT, eSIMs offer simplified network management by enabling remote provisioning and activation of a large fleet of devices, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.
As 5G networks expand and the IoT ecosystem grows, eSIMs provide a future-proof connectivity backbone across these industries, ensuring flexibility, enhanced security, and sustainability benefits by reducing reliance on physical SIM cards. With the right standards and ecosystem support, eSIMs have the potential to play a pivotal role in India’s digital transformation
TimesTech: What role can Indian telecom operators and device manufacturers play in accelerating eSIM adoption and ensuring seamless customer experience?
Sachin: Indian telecom operators and device manufacturers have a critical role in accelerating eSIM adoption and ensuring a seamless customer experience. Operators can enable remote provisioning and over-the-air (OTA) profile management to allow customers to easily switch between networks without physical SIM changes. They can also invest in infrastructure for secure data hosting compliant with Indian regulations, thereby building trust in eSIM technology.
Device manufacturers, on their part, should integrate eSIM functionality across a wider range of devices, including affordable models, to broaden market reach beyond premium segments. Collaboration between operators and OEMs is necessary to educate consumers, promote eSIM benefits, and create unified standards ensuring interoperability and reliability. Such ecosystem cooperation, combined with robust security frameworks, will be key to mainstreaming eSIM usage while enhancing flexibility and customer satisfaction.
TimesTech: With global momentum building around eSIMs, where does India stand in terms of readiness (technology, policy, and ecosystem maturity) to leverage this transition?
Sachin: India shows significant progress in eSIM readiness with advancements in technology, policy, and ecosystem development. Technologically, telecom operators and solution providers like G+D are equipping networks to support remote provisioning, OTA profile management, and secure lifecycle management of eSIMs compliant with Indian regulations. From a technology standpoint, India has made significant strides, with telecom operators actively deploying Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) platforms and collaborating with G+D to support eSIM-enabled devices. However, device ecosystem maturity remains uneven, while premium smartphones support eSIMs, affordable models lag due to cost constraints and limited incentives for OEMs, especially those influenced by Chinese market restrictions.
On the policy front, India is actively working towards frameworks around data localisation, privacy, and secure authentication, which are critical to secure eSIM rollout. However, ecosystem maturity still requires broader device compatibility across price segments, ecosystem awareness, and unified standards for interoperability. While urban areas and premium device users benefit from current capabilities, large-scale adoption in rural and mid-tier markets remains a challenge. India’s readiness for eSIM adoption is growing, but it will benefit from coordinated efforts involving OEMs, operators, and regulators to unlock the full potential of the technology in the country’s expanding digital landscape
TimesTech: From a policy and infrastructure standpoint, what frameworks are needed to ensure interoperability, data security, and smooth transition from physical SIMs to eSIMs?
Sachin: From a policy and infrastructure perspective, several frameworks are essential to ensure interoperability, data security, and a smooth transition from physical SIMs to eSIMs in India:
While consumer eSIM adoption is already guided by well-established GSMA standards and processes, the real policy and infrastructure gap lies in the IoT segment. For India to fully leverage the benefits of eSIM in IoT—such as remote provisioning, lifecycle management, and secure connectivity—there is a strong need for government-led frameworks that prioritize and regulate eSIM adoption in this space.
Key areas where policy support is needed include:
- Mandating eSIM-readiness for new IoT deployments in sectors like utilities, automotive, and smart infrastructure.
- Establishing national guidelines for interoperability across MNOs and eSIM platforms, especially for M2M use cases.
- Creating a secure provisioning infrastructure that aligns with GSMA’s SGP.32 standard, ensuring scalability and data protection.
- Incentivizing migration from physical SIM to eSIM’s for further secure and scalable solutions and more efficient, secure protocols.
- Encouraging local manufacturing and certification of eSIM modules to support the Make in India initiative.
With the right regulatory push, India can accelerate its transition to a more connected, secure, and scalable IoT ecosystem powered by eSIM technology.
