Reliance Jio Discontinues 1-GB-Per-Day Entry Plans; Base Tariff Rises To Rs 299

Telecom giant Reliance Jio has discontinued its entry-level plan of 1 GB per day at Rs 209 for 22 days and at Rs 249 for 28 days.

Jio subscribers now have no choice but to move up to the next plan of Rs 299, which offers 1.5 GB per day for 28 days, according to industry channel checks.

A company executive told NDTV Profit that the two discontinued plans are now only available at physical points of sale, and online recharges cannot be done for the same.

Airtel and Vodafone Idea base monthly plans also start at Rs 299 but provide only 1 GB per day. After this move, the industry's new base plan is Rs 299.

This comes as industry watchers expect telecom operators to announce a fresh round of tariff hikes within the next six months.

According to Ankit Jain of ICRA, the increase could come between October 2025 and January 2026. However, the quantum is likely to be less than 15-20 %— smaller than the hikes seen in 2024, he said.

“A tariff hike is imminent. We expect jump to be less than last year, less than 15–20%… Going forward, the trend of price hikes will be more frequent than a bi-yearly exercise,” an ICRA analyst said, adding that average revenue per user could climb from Rs 200 in fiscal 2025 to Rs 220 in fiscal 2026.

Experts say the last major round of hikes in 2024 saw Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea raise tariffs by around 19–21%, prompting some users to switch to state-run BSNL. This time, operators are expected to stick to headline price increases, without altering plan validity periods.

Reliance Jio has not yet announced a timeline for its next revision, but in past earnings calls, the company has maintained that tariff corrections are necessary to support ongoing 5G investments.

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