Summary:
TRAI has revised mobile recharge rules, requiring Jio, Airtel and Vi to offer more affordable voice-and-SMS-only plans without bundled data, including options with shorter and monthly renewal periods. The move is aimed at giving greater flexibility to users who have limited need for mobile data, particularly low-income consumers, senior citizens and Wi-Fi users. Operators must also provide longer-validity voice-and-SMS vouchers, while the new rules do not require existing 28-day plans to be changed to 30-day plans. The actual savings for consumers will depend on the plans and prices introduced by individual telecom operators.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has revised the rules governing mobile recharge plans, directing telecom companies to provide more options that do not include bundled mobile data and to reduce their tariffs appropriately. As a result, customers of Jio, Airtel and Vi will have access to a wider range of voice-and-SMS-only recharge plans. TRAI said the move is intended to offer greater flexibility to consumers, particularly low-income users, senior citizens and people who primarily use Wi-Fi for internet connectivity and have little need for mobile data.
Under the revised provisions, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) must introduce voice-and-SMS-only plans for every validity period of 30 days or less in which they currently provide bundled plans containing voice, SMS and data. The prices of these plans must also be lower than equivalent bundled offerings, with the tariff adjusted to reflect the absence of data.
Telecom operators are additionally required to provide at least one voice-and-SMS-only plan that can be renewed on the same calendar date each month. If that date is unavailable in a particular month, renewal should take place on the final day of that month. Operators must also introduce at least one voice-and-SMS-only voucher with a longer validity period corresponding to their existing longer-validity bundled plans.
TRAI said the amendments followed its observation that telecom operators offered only a small number of voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs), with most of the available options carrying longer validity periods, as reported by PTI. This meant that low-income consumers had limited affordable choices for shorter recharge 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 subsequently conducted an Open House Discussion on June 15, 2026. After considering the feedback and carrying out its own assessment, TRAI proceeded to finalise the amendment.
How will the new rules affect mobile users?
The revised rules are expected to provide greater flexibility to customers who have little or no requirement for mobile data. For instance, users who primarily make calls and send text messages while depending on Wi-Fi for internet access may opt for a voice-and-SMS-only recharge instead of paying for data included in a bundled plan. However, the amount users can save will depend on the plans launched by individual operators and the prices they set.
The option for monthly renewal may also make recharge management more convenient, as users would be able to renew on the same date each month instead of following a 28-day recharge cycle.
Will this change how often you recharge your phone?
A large number of prepaid plans currently remain valid for 28 days instead of covering a complete calendar month. Consequently, customers seeking uninterrupted service may have to recharge 13 times within 364 days rather than 12 times during a year.
For instance, if a Rs 299 plan remains valid for 28 days, 13 recharges would amount to Rs 3,887. If a plan priced at Rs 299 instead provided 30 days of validity, 12 recharges would total Rs 3,588 for 360 days. This example assumes that the recharge price remains unchanged.
However, the amendment does not direct telecom operators to replace their existing 28-day plans with 30-day plans. The primary objective is to increase the availability of voice-and-SMS-only plans, introduce a monthly renewal option and ensure that such plans are priced appropriately.
