- The Centre mandates telecoms to offer prepaid plans with 30-day validity instead of 28-day plans
- New rules require voice-and-SMS-only plans without data for users not needing internet services
- Operators must provide plans renewable on the same monthly date or last day if date is absent
The Centre has introduced new rules requiring telecom operators to offer prepaid users more flexible recharge options, including plans with 30-day validity and basic voice-and-SMS-only plans.
Under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), operators will have to offer a 30-day recharge option instead of limiting customers to the commonly used 28-day plans.
The change means users opting for 30-day plans would need to recharge 12 times a year instead of 13 times under a standard 28-day cycle. TRAI has also asked operators to offer plans that provide only voice calls and SMS, without bundled data, for customers who do not need internet services.
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said the availability of voice-and-SMS-only short-validity plans had remained limited following the Telecom Consumer Protection (Twelfth Amendment), 2024, with existing offerings largely concentrated on longer validity periods.
BJP MP Raghav Chadha said he had raised concerns in Parliament on March 11 over limited and inflexible recharge options and credited the Centre and TRAI with addressing the issue. Chadha wrote on X, "The Govt just introduced Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026."
Chadha further stated, "Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March, seeking greater choice and more affordable options for consumers."
Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India The Govt just introduced Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, consumers will now have: • 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year • Voice and SMS-only plans for those who do not need data • More suitable options for low-budget consumers who primarily need basic voice calls Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March, seeking greater choice and more affordable options for consumers. I am grateful to the Government of India and TRAI for resolving these concerns in the interest of greater consumer choice and convenience.
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 27, 2026
These voice-and-SMS-only plans will be available with 30-day and shorter validity periods. Operators will also have to provide an option that can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not occur in a particular month, the renewal will take place on the last day of that month.
The regulations are aimed particularly at consumers with limited or no data requirements, including feature-phone users, senior citizens and customers in rural areas.
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The amended regulations are expected to come into force within 30 days of their publication in the Gazette, expanding prepaid users' choice of recharge options and providing alternatives for customers who do not require mobile internet services.
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