Airtel launches voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans from ₹185 under TRAI rules

Bharti Airtel has become the first Indian telecom operator to put out prepaid plans that bundle only calls and SMS, with no mobile data, as the industry moves to meet a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandate. The cheapest of the three new packs costs ₹185.

Airtel has put the packs up on its website and mobile app ahead of the 21 October date by which operators must offer such options, Indiantelevision.com reported. Airtel could not be reached for comment, according to a PTI report carried by Daily Excelsior.

The three plans

• ₹185: 28 days of validity, with 300 SMS and unlimited calling (local, STD and roaming).
• ₹203: identical benefits for 30 days, so two extra days cost ₹18 more.
• ₹206: identical benefits with one-month validity, so the recharge falls due on the same date each month instead of every 30 days.

None of the packs include a data allowance. All three come with free HelloTunes, letting users change their caller tune once every 30 days without paying extra, TelecomTalk reported.

What TRAI ordered

The launch follows the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, which TRAI issued in September. Under the rules, operators must offer special tariff vouchers (STVs) meant only for voice and SMS, matching the validity periods of their current bundled vouchers of 30 days or less, and priced with a suitable cut in tariff because data is left out.

The regulator’s aim is to make mobile service cheaper for people who have little or no use for data, so that they are not paying for internet access they may never touch.

Who stands to benefit

Sources quoted in the PTI report said the new packs are pitched at customers who mostly call and text, such as feature phone owners, people keeping a second SIM for calls, and those who rely mainly on Wi-Fi at home or work for internet. For such users, bundled data adds little value. The shorter validity also allows customers to recharge in smaller amounts instead of committing to a long-term plan upfront.

With the 21 October deadline days away, other operators are also required to bring out voice-and-SMS-only vouchers under the same regulations.

Sources: TelecomTalk, Daily Excelsior (PTI), Indiantelevision.com