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India’s telecom regulator TRAI has introduced new requirements giving prepaid customers more voice-and-SMS-only recharge options, including a plan renewable on the same date every month. The changes apply to telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
Under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, operators must offer voice-and-SMS-only alternatives matching each validity period of 30 days or less available in their bundled voice, SMS and data plans. These alternatives must carry an appropriate reduction in tariff.
Operators must also provide a calendar-month option. This allows customers to renew on the same date each month. When that date does not exist in a particular month, renewal falls on the month’s final day.
A calendar-month plan differs from a fixed 30-day recharge because months vary in length. The new requirements also include at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only option corresponding to an existing bundled plan.
TRAI said earlier offerings were concentrated around longer validities, limiting affordable short-duration choices for consumers who did not need mobile data.
The announcement does not mean every existing 28-day recharge must become a 30-day plan. Its focus is expanding separate calling-and-SMS choices with suitable validity periods and pricing.
For Indian households, the change could help people who mainly need calls and messages avoid paying for unwanted data bundles. Actual savings will depend on the prices operators announce.
Consumers should compare the final tariff, validity and included benefits before selecting a recharge.
Would you choose a monthly calling-only plan?
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