TRAI mandates voice and SMS-only recharge plans for Indian telecom users

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, mandating that telecom operators provide more affordable voice and SMS-only recharge options.

Under the new rules, service providers such as Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL must offer Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) that exclude data for any validity period of 30 days or less that is currently offered as a bundled voice, SMS, and data package. The regulator specified that the price for these standalone voice and SMS plans must be appropriately reduced to reflect the removal of data services.

Additional mandates include the requirement for at least one voice and SMS-only plan with a validity exceeding 30 days, and the introduction of monthly renewal options where the plan can be recharged on the same date each month. These measures aim to provide greater flexibility and cost-effective choices for low-income consumers and users who rely primarily on calling and messaging rather than internet connectivity.