Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea Voice and SMS-Only Plans for Prepaid Users: November 2026
Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have introduced TRAI-mandated Voice and SMS-only prepaid plans for low-income consumers. Here's a look at all the available recharge options, including prices, validity and benefits.
India’s leading telecom operators, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), have launched Voice and SMS-only plans in accordance with the recent TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) Tariff Mandate. Although Indian private telecom operators consider India a data-first telecom market, with voice services serving as a complementary offering, the country’s telecom regulatory body has mandated operators to introduce shorter-validity Voice and SMS-only plans to provide low-income consumers with more options.
Bharti Airtel was the first to make its TRAI-mandated plans available, followed by Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Reliance Jio. Jio has also made its TRAI-Mandated Packs section live on its website, in accordance with a separate TRAI mandate requiring operators to create a dedicated TRAI-Mandated Packs section on their websites and apps.
Now that Airtel, Jio, and Vi have made their Voice and SMS-only packs available for low-income consumers, let’s take a look at the new options currently available to telecom users in India.
Bharti Airtel Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Airtel Rs 185
Pack Type: Voice-Centric Prepaid Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited local, STD & Roaming calls, 300 SMS, and Free Hellotunes (set any one tune every 30 days for free). Data usage charged at 50p/MB; post-300 SMS charged at Re. 1 Local / Rs. 1.5 STD per SMS. Validity: 28 days Effective Per-Day Pricing: Approx. Rs 6.61
Airtel Rs 203
Pack Type: Voice-Centric Prepaid Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited local, STD & Roaming calls, 300 SMS, and Free Hellotunes (set any one tune every 30 days for free). Data usage charged at 50p/MB; post-300 SMS charged at Re. 1 Local / Rs. 1.5 STD per SMS. Validity: 30 days Effective Per-Day Pricing: Approx. Rs 6.77
Pack Type: Voice-Centric Prepaid Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited local, STD & Roaming calls, 300 SMS, and Free Hellotunes (set any one tune every 30 days for free). Data usage charged at 50p/MB; post-300 SMS charged at Re. 1 Local / Rs. 1.5 STD per SMS. Validity: 1 month Effective Per-Day Pricing: Approx. Rs 6.87 (calculated at around 30 days average)
Reliance Jio Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Jio Rs 147 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited voice calls and 300 SMS total. No data included. Validity: 22 Days Effective Per Day Pricing: Rs 6.68
Jio Rs 177 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited voice calls and 300 SMS total. No data included. Validity: 28 Days Effective Per Day Pricing: Rs 6.32
Jio Rs 196 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited voice calls and 300 SMS total. No data included. Validity: 30 Days Effective Per Day Pricing: Rs 6.53
Jio Rs 197 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited voice calls and 300 SMS total. No data included. Validity: Calendar Month (renews on the same date each month) Effective Per Day Pricing: around Rs 6.35 – Rs 6.57
Vodafone Idea Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Vi Rs 185 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited calls and 300 SMS total. No data included (data charged at 50p/MB; post-quota SMS at Rs 1/1.5 for Local/STD). Validity: 28 Days Effective Per Day Pricing: Rs 6.61
Note: Under the Today’s Offer section, Vi is offering additional data on this plan to select users in select circles. The offer includes 1GB of data along with the core benefits mentioned above.
Vi Rs 203 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited calls and 300 SMS total. No data included (data charged at 50p/MB; post-quota SMS at Rs 1/1.5 for Local/STD). Validity: 30 Days Effective Per Day Pricing: Rs 6.77
Vi Rs 206 Plan
Plan Type: Voice Only Plan, Voice and SMS Plan Core Benefits: Unlimited calls and 300 SMS total. No data included (data charged at 50p/MB; post-quota SMS at Rs 1/1.5 for Local/STD). Validity: 1 Calendar Month (renews on the same date each month) Effective Per Day Pricing: around Rs 6.65 – Rs 6.87
Existing Plan: Vi Rs 179 Plan
Vi also has an existing Voice-Only pack priced at Rs. 179, which previously offered 1GB or 1.5GB of data in select circles. The pack now offers 25 days of validity with core voice and SMS benefits but no data benefits. However, in select circles, it also offers 1.5GB of data along with voice and SMS benefits, with a validity of 28 days.
Overall, Bharti Airtel has introduced around three plans, Reliance Jio has introduced around four plans, and Vi has launched around three plans as part of the latest wave of Voice and SMS-only plan launches mandated by TRAI. If you belong to a low-income household or are a user who primarily needs voice and SMS services, we hope these plans provide you with affordable options to access mobile connectivity and stay connected.
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