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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) directed telecom operators, including Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, to expand their range of voice- and SMS-only recharge plans. The new framework is aimed at customers who use their mobile connections mainly for calling and messaging and do not want to pay for mobile data.
The amended rules are scheduled to take effect on October 21, 2026, following their notification on September 21. Operators will have to provide voice-and-SMS-only options across the shorter validity periods already available with their regular bundled plans.
Under the amended regulations, telecom companies must offer voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) for validity periods of 30 days or less where comparable voice, SMS and data plans are available.
The rules also require operators to provide a plan that can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, renewal will move to the last day of that month.
TRAI has also asked operators to provide at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only option that matches the longer data-inclusive plans already offered by the company.
TRAI previously asked telecom companies to offer at least one voice-and-SMS-only STV. However, the regulator found that such plans were largely concentrated around longer validity periods, leaving fewer choices for customers seeking shorter recharges.
The issue matters for people who use basic phones, depend on Wi-Fi for internet access, maintain a secondary SIM, or simply have little need for mobile data. TRAI argued that these users should be allowed to pay for the services they actually use.
The regulator's consultation process for the latest changes received 1,132 responses from telecom operators, industry bodies, consumer groups and other stakeholders. TRAI also held an Open House Discussion on June 15, 2026, before finalizing the amendment.
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The major telecom operators had opposed expanding mandatory voice-and-SMS-only plans during the consultation process. Reliance Jio, for example, argued that existing tariff options were sufficient and questioned the need for separate plans for every validity period.
The exact pricing of the new plans has not yet been announced. TRAI has provided guidance for operators on adjusting tariffs to reflect the removal of data, rather than prescribing a single fixed price for every plan.
