Bharti Airtel has introduced three prepaid recharge plans offering unlimited voice calls and SMS without bundled mobile data, becoming the first major telecom operator in India to roll out the options ahead of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) October 21 compliance deadline.
The new plans are priced at Rs 185, Rs 203 and Rs 206, providing customers with different validity periods while allowing them to avoid paying for mobile data they may not need. The move follows TRAI's revised consumer protection regulations requiring telecom operators to offer dedicated voice-and-SMS-only recharge options, as per media reports.
Airtel's new recharge plans
The Rs 185 plan offers 28 days of validity, unlimited local, STD and roaming calls, and 300 SMS. The Rs 203 recharge provides 30 days of validity with the same calling and messaging benefits. Meanwhile, the Rs 206 plan remains valid for one calendar month and also includes unlimited calls and 300 SMS.
All three plans exclude bundled mobile data and include free HelloTunes. Customers can access the recharge options through Airtel's official website and mobile application.
Who will benefit from the plans?
The voice-only recharges are aimed at subscribers who primarily use their phones for calls and text messages. These include feature-phone users, senior citizens, budget-conscious consumers and people maintaining secondary SIM cards.
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The plans could also benefit customers who rely on Wi-Fi for internet access and do not need mobile data on their prepaid connections. By separating voice and SMS services from data bundles, Airtel is offering users more flexibility in selecting recharges according to their communication needs.
The different validity periods also provide options for customers who prefer a fixed 30-day recharge or a plan aligned with a calendar month.
Airtel's rollout follows TRAI's Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The regulatory framework seeks to ensure that subscribers who do not use mobile data have access to suitable voice-and-SMS-only plans.
The move is intended to improve consumer choice and affordability by reducing the need for customers to purchase bundled data services they may not use.
Shorter-validity plans allow users to make smaller, manageable top-ups rather than committing to costly, long-term recharges. By broadening its prepaid choices, Airtel offers greater flexibility tailored to the needs of voice-focused consumers.
Driven by initial user adoption, Airtel is anticipated to expand its voice-only portfolio with longer-term recharge options over time.
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