Jio, Airtel, Vi may soon introduce affordable voice and SMS-only recharge plans, here is why

Telecom operators such as Jio, Airtel, Vi and others may soon introduce economical recharge options for their SIM users in India who do not wish to pay extra for bundled mobile data. We say this as the Indian telecom watchdog Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finalised the Telecom Consumer Protection (13th Amendment) Regulation, 2026, mandating voice and SMS Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with 30 days or less validity.

In its release, TRAI said it observed the limited availability of voice and SMS-only recharges offered by telecom companies in India. It noted a limited set of plans with longer validity periods, depriving those who wish to recharge with shorter validity options. To address these issues, the company issued the TCPR (13th Amendment).

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Here are the three takeaways from the salient features of the amendment:

1. The amendment mandate reduction in the tariff of voice and SMS STVs by introducing less than 30 days or 30 days voice and SMS options alongside Voice, SMS and data plans.
2. The validity should renew on the same date every month. If the same renewal date is not available in the coming month, the validity should be the last date of that month.
3. A minimum of one voice and SMS STV with a validity longer than the monthly plan, similar to the regular voice, data and SMS packs.

These changes are expected to add plan options for consumers looking to recharge with more economical options who do not require data or have alternative mediums to access the internet. Further, this plan is expected to benefit “low-income consumers” as this change will serve them with more recharge options. This change will also prove beneficial for feature phone users across India.

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With the change, consumers will have the option to recharge based on their requirements and “financial capacity”. For context, TRAI issued the consultation paper for the 13th amendment of TCPR and received 1,132 responses from stakeholders. It further held an “Open House Discussion” on the paper for further scrutiny.