Reliance Jio has brought back its Rs 299 Prime membership plan shortly after Bharti Airtel removed its Rs 299 prepaid option and increased the starting price of its unlimited plans to Rs 349.
The move keeps Jio’s Rs 299 price point intact as telecom operators look to restructure their prepaid offerings and increase average revenue per user, or ARPU.
Jio Keeps Rs 299 Prime Membership
Jio said its Rs 299 Prime membership will continue to be available to existing prepaid and postpaid subscribers. The company has also guaranteed the price until September 5, 2027.
Members will additionally receive dedicated priority customer support, adding to the benefits of the subscription.
Jio’s decision to retain the Rs 299 price could help the company present the membership as a more affordable option at a time when telecom tariffs are gradually moving higher.
Airtel Raises Entry Level Unlimited Plan
Airtel recently discontinued its Rs 299 prepaid plan, which offered 1GB of daily data with 28 days of validity.
Following the change, the entry-level unlimited plan now starts at Rs 349, representing a 16.7% increase. The new plan provides 1.5GB of data per day.
Airtel also removed several less-popular prepaid plans with 56-day and 90-day validity as part of the portfolio changes.
Analysts at Centrum Broking described the move as one of Airtel’s biggest single-day prepaid portfolio cleanups in recent years and linked it to the company’s broader tariff rationalisation strategy.
Telecom Firms Focus On Higher ARPU
The latest changes come as telecom companies increasingly focus on monetising their subscriber base and improving ARPU.
Airtel reported an 11.5% sequential increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 8,167 crore in the June quarter. Revenue from operations rose 5.7% to Rs 58,539 crore.
Airtel’s ARPU also increased to Rs 264 from the previous quarter, beating analysts’ expectation of Rs 261.
Jio reported a net profit of Rs 7,764 crore, compared with Rs 7,317 crore in the March quarter. Its ARPU rose marginally to Rs 215.6 from Rs 214.
With Airtel moving its entry-level unlimited plan to Rs 349, Jio’s decision to retain the Rs 299 Prime membership gives it a lower-priced option as the industry continues to push towards higher tariffs and stronger subscriber monetisation.
