- Telecom operators hike prepaid plan prices, reduce validity, or cut benefits.
- Jio’s cricket data pack validity slashed, monthly cost triples for some.
- Airtel removes Rs 799 plan, raises Rs 859 plan to Rs 899.
- BSNL cuts validity on budget plans; Vi increases prices, reduces benefits.
Prepaid mobile users across India are staring at higher recharge bills as the country’s major telecom operators, Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and BSNL, have all revised their plans in ways that are costing consumers more. Whether it is reduced validity, higher plan prices, or fewer benefits for the same amount, the revisions point in one direction: upward.
If you are on a budget prepaid plan, here is what has changed and what it means for your wallet.
How Jio’s Cricket Data Pack Revision Is Hitting Users Hard
Reliance Jio has sharply cut the validity of its Rs 195 Cricket Data Pack from 90 days to just 30 days, while keeping the data quota unchanged at 15GB. This effectively triples the monthly cost for users who relied on the pack for longer coverage. The pack remains data-only, with no voice or SMS benefits, though it continues to bundle a JioHotstar mobile subscription for 90 days.
Jio’s other cricket packs have also seen changes. The Rs 100 pack now offers 6GB, up from 5GB, with 30 days’ validity and a JioHotstar mobile subscription. The Rs 79 pack gives 3GB for 30 days, and the Rs 149 pack offers 10GB with a 90-day JioHotstar subscription. Notably, 30 days is now the highest validity offered across Jio’s data pack portfolio.
Airtel Quietly Raises Price Of Its 84-Day Plan To Rs 899
Airtel has removed its Rs 799 prepaid plan and raised the price of its Rs 859 Truly Unlimited plan to Rs 899. The revised plan offers 1.5GB of data per day, unlimited calls, and 100 SMS per day with 84 days of validity. After the daily data limit is used, speeds drop to 64 Kbps.
Users who previously benefited from a RewardsMini subscription, which offered cashback of Rs 80 per month, will no longer find that benefit on the new Rs 899 plan. Airtel has made no official statement on the removal.
BSNL Cuts Validity On Budget Plans Yet Again
State-run BSNL has trimmed the validity of two of its most popular low-cost vouchers. The Rs 107 plan has been cut from 22 days to 20 days, continuing a long slide from its original 35-day validity.
The Rs 197 plan has been reduced from 42 days to 35 days, though data allowance has been slightly increased from 4GB to 5GB. Both plans still offer unlimited data at reduced speeds after the high-speed quota is consumed.
Vodafone Idea Hikes Prices And Cuts Plan Benefits Across Circles
Vodafone Idea has made some of the most sweeping changes. The Rs 649 plan has been revised to Rs 670 in several circles, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. A Chennai-specific plan has gone from Rs 1020 to Rs 1050.
More concerning for users is the downgrade of several plans from “NonStop Hero” to “Hero Unlimited,” meaning unlimited daily data has been replaced with capped daily limits, in some cases as low as 2GB per day, with speeds dropping to 64 Kbps after that. Plans affected include the Rs 696, Rs 795, Rs 979, Rs 994, Rs 996, Rs 998, and Rs 1198 packs across select circles.
Vi has also removed its Rs 1197 NonStop Hero plan from most circles, replacing it with a Rs 1005 alternative in select regions offering 84 days of unlimited data.
