TRAI's New Prepaid Rules Bring 30-Day Recharge Plans, Says Raghav Chadha

Prepaid mobile users in India will have access to 30-day recharge plans and vouchers limited to voice and SMS services under new regulations issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the move, describing it as a gain for consumers on tight budgets. In a post on X, he said the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 would let users recharge 12 times a year instead of 13, since the new plans run on a 30-day cycle.

Chadha said the changes would give subscribers more flexibility, particularly those who mainly use their phones for calls and text messages rather than data. He added that the framework includes options better suited to low-budget consumers whose needs are limited to basic voice and SMS services.

The amended rules govern Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs), which are prepaid products offered by telecom operators for specific services and validity periods. Under the revised framework, service providers must offer voice and SMS-only STVs for every validity period of 30 days or less that already exists for bundled voice, SMS and data vouchers.

The change is aimed at users who do not require bundled data services, giving them alternatives without having to buy plans that combine all three services.

Chadha said he had raised the issue of limited and inflexible recharge options in Parliament on March 11, seeking greater choice and affordability for consumers. He thanked the government and TRAI for addressing the concerns, noting that many users had shared their difficulties with him.