Airtel quietly kills Rs 189 plan, cheapest recharge now starts at Rs 199 with data

Bharti Airtel silently discontinued its Rs 189 voice-only recharge plan, marking a small but important development for budget-conscious customers who relied on calling services. It was targeted mostly towards those users who required only voice services and did not rely heavily on mobile data. The plan came with unlimited calls on all networks, which made it practical for certain subscribers such as senior citizens, rural area users, or secondary SIM owners purely requiring the SIM card for voice calling. Its quiet discontinuation means such users will now need to pay more, even if they don’t require data or added features. With this move, the telecom operator has effectively raised its entry-level prepaid price point to Rs 199, a plan that now comes bundled with both data and additional digital benefits.

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According to industry experts, the move is part of the larger trend in India’s telecom landscape. For the last few years, operators have gradually withdrawn voice-only plans from the market, pushing customers towards data-centric packs. As more people in the country get smartphones and start using online services, phone companies are being forced to change what they sell to keep up.

However, the change also highlights an increasing gap for users seeking really budget-friendly options. With Airtel’s Rs 189 plan gone, the next available recharge starts at Rs 199, in effect increasing the minimum monthly spend for its customers by Rs 10. While the difference may appear small, it adds up over time for those managing multiple SIM cards or living on tight budgets.

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The new base plan of Rs 199 offers unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS per day, and 2GB of data for 28 days. It’s also reported that once users exhaust their daily 2GB data limit, they will have to pay 50 paisa per MB. Airtel also has included a few added benefits, such as free Hello Tunes and a 12-month subscription to the Perplexity Pro AI tool. While these extras may sound attractive, they might not hold much value for the users who only wanted to have an affordable option of voice calling.

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From the customer’s perspective, though, this may be viewed as restrictive. Many Indians, mostly in smaller towns and rural areas, remain feature phone or basic smartphone users with minimal internet usage. For them, a voice-only plan served the purpose well without any added expenses. The benefits of AI subscriptions and Hello Tunes, among others, might be great for many people but would also mean additional expenses for a category of users who do not need these facilities.

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Bhaskar Sharma

Bhaskar is a senior copy editor at Digit India, where he simplifies complex tech topics across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and emerging consumer tech. His work has appeared in iGeeksBlog, GuidingTech, and other publications, and he previously served as an assistant editor at TechBloat and TechReloaded. A B.Tech graduate and full-time tech writer, he is known for clear, practical guides and explainers. View Full Profile