If you mostly use your phone for calls and texts, India’s telecom regulator has just made life a little easier, at least on paper.
TRAI’s Thirteenth Amendment, published on 21 September, requires telecom operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only vouchers with validity of 30 days or less, a calendar-month option, and at least one longer-duration option, with appropriate price reductions. The rule came into force on 21 October, thirty days after notification, as The Week reported.
TRAI’s reasoning is simple. It said earlier offerings were concentrated in quarterly and annual-style packs, which restricted choice for people who can’t pay a lump sum. It also rejected the idea that data must be bundled into every pack for digital inclusion, noting that services like UPI can work on feature phones through USSD without mobile internet.
Airtel moved first. It added three packs without mobile data: ₹185 for 28 days, ₹203 for 30 days, and ₹206 for a calendar month. All include unlimited local, STD and roaming calls plus 300 SMS.
Jio and Vodafone Idea hadn’t listed shorter-duration plans as of The Week’s check. Jio’s listings show ₹448 for 84 days and ₹1,748 for 336 days. Vi’s Maharashtra page lists ₹470 for 84 days and ₹1,849 for 365 days.
A separate TRAI order on 1 October also directed operators to show a clearly visible ‘TRAI-Mandated Packs’ section as the first tab on their prepaid recharge pages and apps. At the time of The Week’s report, none of the three major players had done that yet.
All this comes during a busy pricing season. Mint reported earlier this month that Airtel raised postpaid tariffs by 3-11%, adding ₹50 across all postpaid plans from 8 October, for example taking its ₹449 plan to ₹499. Mint noted the move came just weeks before the expected IPO of Jio Platforms.
Why it matters
India still has a lot of users who need calls and SMS but little or no data, including many feature phone owners. Cheaper, shorter voice-only plans make basic connectivity more affordable for them. For businesses, voice calls and SMS remain key channels for reaching customers, which is exactly why reliable voice services, and modern VoIP alternatives for companies, still matter so much in India.
Sources: The Week, Mint. Written by the xRapid Media LLP team.