IndMobile Ventures on Tuesday launched international travel SIM card that can be used in 200 countries and has free unlimited incoming call facilities in 75 nations. The uniqueness of ‘Hopsim' card is that it is a pre-paid card, allowing users to keep a tab on their expenses.
“It gives the users a permanent number for lifetime and the airtime never expires. There is no annual subscription or registration charge. There is no complicated zone or call connection zones,” said IndMobile Ventures Founder and Chairman Somil Gupta.
Similarly, users could use the same card for making calls out of 200 countries on a fixed tariff rate unlike other travel cards where the users need to take separate cards for different countries. On top of that the unused talk times never expire and can be used in subsequent visits, no matter whichever country the user visits, he said. Informing that each SIM card would cost $16, Mr. Gupta claimed that the tariffs they were offering were cheaper than their competitors, both when the call was local or international. “We have tied up with over 400 operators globally, so a person can choose the operator as per his requirement. We are not only providing free incoming calls and SMS, but also offering cheaper data services. On average it saves up to 85 per cent on cost compared to one's own mobile number while on a trip abroad,” he said.
Mr. Gupta said the cards can now be bought and recharged online. “We have opened office in Mumbai and will soon have outlets in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. We will also open outlets at airports and sell SIM cards in other cities and towns through franchise model. We hope to do Rs.40-crore business in the first year, which was likely to go up to Rs.150 crore in the next three years,” Mr. Gupta added.