How voice-and-SMS-only plans address a gap in the market

Meanwhile, the telecom regulator has directed mobile operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only tariff intends, without data, valid for 30 daysor less.

Key points

• A subsequent draft proposal in April 2026 sought to address pricing, requiring operators to offer a proportionately priced, data-free equivalent for every validity period available under bundled intends.
• They will additionally have to provide a plan that can be renewed on the same date every month.
• Why has Trai issued this order at this stage?

What happened

THE TELECOM REGULATORY Authority of India (Trai) has amended the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2024, requiring operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only tariff intends, without bundled data, with a validity not exceeding 30 days, to ensure that consumers who don't need data can have access to more affordable and shorter duration options. They will additionally have to provide a plan that can be renewed on the same date every month. Rates for these standalone aims must carry what the regulation calls an 'appropriate reduction in tariff' relative to the equivalent data-inclusive plan. According to It additionally, voice-and-SMS intends are not being prominently displayed by telcos at all customer touchpoints such as websites, apps, retail outlets, etc., leading to low consumer awareness and lower uptake, and called on them to change this. It remarked the change is intended to provide low-income subscribers, feature-phone users and consumers with existing broadband connections the ability to pay only for the services they employ, rather than being confined to longer-duration vouchers structured around data allowances.

TRAI FIRST MANDATED voice-and-SMS-only intends in 2024, but operators mostly offered these with longer validities, typically 80-84 days or 336-365 days that did not serve subscribers seeking a short-term, affordable recharge. A subsequent draft proposal in April 2026 sought to address pricing, requiring operators to offer a proportionately priced, data-free equivalent for every validity period available under bundled intends. The latest order responds to the comments received on the proposal and has mandated shorter validity outright, on the basis that low-income and rural consumers require more frequent, smaller-value recharges rather than a single longer-duration voucher. Trai has described the measure as consumer protection, stating that it enables subscribers to recharge as per actual usage and financial capacity.

The bottom line

In short, how voice-and-SMS-only plans address a gap in the market is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.