Reliance Jio's entry to the Indian market pushed tariffs super low, making India a nation with the most affordale tariffs. However, the tariff hikes on prepaid plans over the last few years has pushed India lower in the affordability ranks for the telecom circles. According to ICICI Securities, India is no longer the cheapest country for telecom circles. Other countries such as Egypt and Bangladesh now have more affordable entry-level plans for letting users keep their SIM active.
Read More - Jio Broadband Market Share Widens Marginally in Sept 2025
However, India is still a nation where consumers get the most generous consumption allowances from the telcos. Just take the unlimited 5G as the example. The telcos in India have constantly pushed for a higher average revenue per user (ARPU) to ensure the business remains attractive for the investors. The ARPU of the operators has gone up significantly compared to the 2018-19 levels.
But what's good is that Indian telcos are offering unlimited voice calling even with their base level plans. This is not the case with what operators in Egypt and Bangladesh are offering. What's interesting here is that Indonesia is the only nation which is comparable to India when it comes to offering unlimited voice calling with the base level plans.
Read More - Why The Cheapest Postpaid Plan May Not Be The Smartest Choice
Regardless of the tariff hikes, India's telecom services are still one of the cheapest in the world. The telcos have been building world class infrastructure for the users. The companies have invested a lot of money in building out the 5G infrastructure. When compared with China, India's base plan is still 21% cheaper, said the report. The ARPU of the operators is set to grow as the consumers up their data usage and also upgrade to higher category data plans.
