Prepaid mobile users in India will get more recharge options under new rules notified by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified on September 22, require telecom operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) for validity periods of 30 days or less, corresponding to their bundled plans.
Operators must also offer a voucher that can renew on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, the plan will renew on the last day of that month.
The rules are aimed at giving consumers greater flexibility, particularly those who do not require mobile data. Operators must also offer at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only plan corresponding to their longer bundled plans.
The changes follow a TRAI consultation that received 1,132 stakeholder responses. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha had earlier raised concerns over 28-day recharge cycles and the limited availability of voice-only plans.
