Airtel Rolls Out Voice-and-SMS-Only Prepaid Plans From Rs 185 Ahead of TRAI's Oct. 21 Deadline

Three packs offer unlimited calls and 300 SMS with no bundled data. Airtel is the first Indian operator to comply with the new TRAI special tariff rules.

NEW DELHI - Bharti Airtel on Sunday became the first Indian telecom operator to sell prepaid plans built only for calling and texting, three days before a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India deadline that requires every major carrier to offer voice-and-SMS special tariff vouchers without bundled mobile data.

India Today, CNBC-TV18, Hindustan Times and TelecomTalk report three new recharges on the Airtel app and website: Rs 185 for 28 days, Rs 203 for 30 days and Rs 206 for a calendar month. Each pack includes unlimited local, STD and roaming calls, 300 SMS for the validity period, and free HelloTunes. None includes mobile data.

Airtel prepaid recharge flow showing the new voice-only packs — *Screenshot: Techtember*

Airtel confirmed the launch to India Today Tech. CNBC-TV18 notes that Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) still have until Tuesday, Oct. 21, to match the same class of plans. TRAI set that 30-day compliance window in September after arguing that people who mainly dial and text should not have to buy data they do not use.

The packs are aimed at feature-phone users, second SIMs kept only for calls, and customers who already lean on Wi-Fi for internet. TelecomTalk’s comparison table shows the three plans share the same calling and SMS benefits, so the real choice is validity: a shorter 28-day cycle, a fixed 30-day cycle, or a calendar-month renewal.

Launch coverage framed Airtel’s move as the first voice-only prepaid response to TRAI’s October deadline Image: TelecomTalk

India’s prepaid shelf has long mixed voice with 4G or 5G data. Shorter voice-only options sit closer to how many basic handsets are actually used. CNBC-TV18 adds that Airtel may still add a longer-validity voice-only pack later if demand holds.

The move lands in a market already watching how India’s largest carriers price connectivity. Techtember previously covered how BT’s TalkTalk deal reshaped fixed-line competition in Britain; India’s TRAI order is a different kind of consumer pressure, aimed at prepaid menus rather than wholesale networks.

India Today reported Airtel’s confirmation and the Rs 185 starting price on Oct. 18 Image: India Today

Sources: India Today Tech, Divya Bhati, “Airtel launches voice-only prepaid plans after govt mandate, prices start at Rs 185,” Oct. 18, 2026, https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/airtel-launches-voice-only-prepaid-plans-after-govt-mandate-prices-start-at-rs-185-3020100-2026-10-18; CNBC-TV18, Asmi Saxena, “Airtel launches Rs 185, Rs 203, Rs 206 voice-only prepaid plans ahead of TRAI’s Oct 21 deadline,” Oct. 18, 2026, https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/telecom/bharti-airtel-voice-only-recharge-plans-rs185-rs203-rs206-trai-october-21-deadline-20014407.htm; Hindustan Times, “Airtel adds 3 voice-only prepaid plans ahead of TRAI deadline,” Oct. 18, 2026, https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/airtel-adds-3-voice-only-prepaid-plans-ahead-of-trai-deadline-101792302411610.html; TelecomTalk, Tarun P K, “Bharti Airtel Becomes First Telco to Launch Voice-Only Plans Under New TRAI Rules,” Oct. 18, 2026, https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-first-telco-launch-voice-plans-trairules/1013004/; LiveMint, “Airtel launches voice-only plans at Rs 185, Rs 203 and Rs 206 after TRAI’s mandate,” Oct. 18, 2026, https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/airtel-launches-voice-only-plans-at-185-203-and-206-after-trais-mandate-what-each-plan-offers-11792338781359.html.

Elena Vos, Business. Elena Vos is a senior correspondent covering tech deals, markets, and corporate strategy. Previously reported business and finance for independent newsrooms; based in London.