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Highlights
- TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said telecom tariffs are to be decided by operators under the current forbearance regime.
- TRAI will intervene on tariff hikes only when there is a necessity for regulatory action, Lahoti said.
- TRAI says consumers should have the choice to subscribe to plans based on their requirements.
Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) cannot act on “guesswork” over reports of a possible 10-15 percent telecom tariff hike, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti reportedly said, while reiterating that operators must comply with the regulator’s mandate to offer voice- and SMS-only plans despite industry pushback.
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Telecom Tariffs Under Forbearance Regime
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Lahoti said telecom tariffs are currently under a forbearance regime, under which operators are free to determine their prices. He said market forces are driving tariffs in India’s competitive telecom sector, while TRAI continues to monitor developments.
“As far as tariff is concerned, as per the present regulatory provisions, the tariff is under forbearance, which means the tariff is to be decided by operators,” Lahoti reportedly said.
Asked whether TRAI would intervene if operators raised tariffs by 10-15 percent, Lahoti reportedly said, “I don’t think we can act on this based on guesswork. As soon as there is a necessity of intervention, we’ll do that.”
He also pointed to the level of competition in the sector, saying tariffs in India are “probably the lowest in the world”.
Voice- and SMS-Only Plans
On TRAI’s mandate for voice- and SMS-only plans, Lahoti reportedly said the regulator has not received a response from operators but stressed that the requirement is already part of the regulations.
“We haven’t received a response, but this is a regulation which has already been issued, and the operators are required to comply with this,” he was quoted as saying in a report dated October 6, 2026.
