Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, has quietly introduced a new ₹450 prepaid plan for its users. The plan offers a service validity of 36 days, which may appear short for the price at first glance. However, this shorter validity seems to be a deliberate strategy tied to the benefits bundled with the plan. Notably, Jio has not made any official announcement about this offering, and it has been added discreetly to the list of available recharge options.
The ₹450 prepaid plan includes 2GB of daily data along with the 36-day validity period. Since Jio provides unlimited 5G data with all plans that offer at least 2GB of daily data, users subscribing to this plan will also receive 5G access where available. Based on the validity period, the average daily cost of the plan comes to around ₹12.5, which is on the higher side considering the overall benefits. In addition to data and 5G access, the plan includes a three-month subscription to JioHotstar Mobile, with no other bundled perks. This pricing structure suggests that Jio is increasingly focused on boosting monetisation and raising its average revenue per user (ARPU).
Looking ahead, Reliance Jio is expected to raise tariffs further this year, a move that would likely prompt similar increases from competing operators. With Jio preparing for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), strengthening ARPU is expected to be a key priority. There is also the possibility of deeper monetisation of 5G services, although global trends suggest that pricing 5G at a premium can slow adoption—an outcome telecom operators typically aim to avoid.
