TRAI has amended its consumer protection rules to expand voice-and-SMS-only recharge options.
Operators will have to offer such vouchers for every validity period of up to 30 days for which they offer bundled plans.
The move is aimed at giving consumers more affordable choices, particularly those who do not need mobile data.
TRAI Changes Recharge Rules: More Voice, SMS-Only Plans Coming
The new rules require telecom operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only vouchers across different validity periods, including shorter-duration options
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Summary
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has amended its consumer protection rules to require telecom service providers to offer more Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) that provide only voice calling and SMS services.
The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, released on Tuesday, is aimed at expanding the availability of voice-and-SMS-only recharge options, particularly those with shorter validity periods.
TRAI said it had found that such vouchers were available in limited numbers and were largely focused on longer validity periods. This, according to the regulator, left consumers looking for lower-cost and shorter-duration plans with fewer options.
What The New TRAI Rules Say
Under the amended rules, telecom operators will have to offer a voice-and-SMS-only STV for every validity period of 30 days or less for which they offer a combined voice, SMS and data STV. The voice-and-SMS-only option will also have to carry an appropriate reduction in tariff.
Operators will also be required to offer at least one voice-and-SMS-only STV that can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not occur in a particular month, the renewal date will be the last day of that month.
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In addition, telcos will have to offer at least one voice-and-SMS-only STV with a longer validity corresponding to the validity period of the voice, SMS and data STVs they offer.
Why TRAI Has Changed The Rules
TRAI said the changes are intended to give consumers more flexibility to choose recharge plans based on their requirements and financial capacity.
The regulator said the framework would particularly benefit low-income consumers and those who do not want to pay for data services they may not use.
The amendment follows a consultation process that began with TRAI issuing a draft regulation on April 7, 2026. The regulator received 1,132 responses from stakeholders and held an Open House Discussion on June 15 before finalising the rules.
The changes come as telecom operators continue to focus on increasing monetisation and average revenue per user (ARPU). Bharti Airtel, for instance, raised the entry price of some unlimited daily-data prepaid plans to ₹349 from ₹299 in August. Its mobile ARPU stood at ₹264 in the June quarter, compared with ₹250 a year earlier.
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