The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced new rules for mobile recharge plans, directing telecom companies to provide more options that offer only voice calls and SMS without bundled mobile data, along with appropriately reduced tariffs. Under the revised rules, customers of Jio, Airtel and Vi will have a wider range of voice-and-SMS-only recharge choices. TRAI said the move is intended to provide greater flexibility to consumers, especially low-income users, senior citizens and people who primarily use Wi-Fi and have little need for mobile data.
The amendment requires Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) to introduce voice-and-SMS-only plans for every validity period of 30 days or less in which they already offer bundled plans containing calls, SMS and data. These standalone plans must be cheaper than equivalent bundled offerings, with tariffs reduced appropriately.
Telecom operators will also have to provide at least one voice-and-SMS-only plan that can be renewed on the same date each month. If that date is unavailable in a particular month, renewal should be possible on the month's final day. In addition, operators must offer at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only voucher corresponding to the longer-duration bundled plans in their portfolios.
TRAI said it introduced the changes after finding that operators offered only a small number of voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs), with most aimed at longer validity periods, according to PTI. This meant that low-income users had limited affordable options for shorter durations.
To address the issue, TRAI issued the draft Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, for public consultation on April 7, 2026.
The regulator received 1,132 submissions from stakeholders and conducted an Open House Discussion on June 15, 2026. After considering the feedback and carrying out its own assessment, TRAI finalised the amendment.
HOW WILL THE NEW RULES AFFECT MOBILE USERS?
The revised rules are expected to give consumers who do not require mobile data more recharge options. For instance, a person who mainly uses their phone for calls and SMS and accesses the internet through Wi-Fi could opt for a voice-and-SMS-only plan instead of paying for a bundled recharge that includes data.
The amount users actually save will depend on the specific plans and prices introduced by individual telecom operators.
The monthly-renewal option could also make it simpler for customers to remember their recharge dates, instead of having to renew plans every 28 days.
WILL THIS CHANGE HOW OFTEN YOU RECHARGE?
Many prepaid plans currently come with 28-day validity instead of covering an entire calendar month. This means users seeking uninterrupted service may have to recharge 13 times over 364 days rather than 12 times in a year.
For instance, a Rs 299 recharge with 28-day validity would cost Rs 3,887 if renewed 13 times. If the same-priced plan offered 30-day validity, 12 recharges would cost Rs 3,588 over 360 days. This is only an illustration and assumes the price remains unchanged.
However, the amendment does not require telecom operators to convert all existing 28-day plans into 30-day plans. The main focus is on increasing the availability of voice-and-SMS-only plans, providing a monthly-renewal option and ensuring that these plans carry appropriately reduced tariffs.
