Airtel Removes Four Prepaid Plans
Bharti Airtel has discontinued four of its prepaid recharge plans in India, removing the ₹299, ₹579, ₹619 and ₹649 options from its lineup.
The changes took effect on August 12 and have reduced the number of prepaid price points available to customers.
While Airtel has not announced a blanket tariff hike, customers using some of the discontinued plans will now have to move to more expensive alternatives.
₹299 Plan Replaced By ₹349
The biggest impact is being felt by customers who previously relied on Airtel’s ₹299 prepaid plan.
The ₹299 pack offered 1.5GB of daily data, unlimited calls and SMS benefits for 28 days. It has now been discontinued, with the ₹349 plan becoming the nearest alternative.
The ₹349 plan costs ₹50 more, representing an increase of around 16%. However, it also provides 2GB of data per day for 28 days.
This means customers get additional data, but those who previously needed only the ₹299 plan will now have to spend more for a similar 28-day recharge.
₹579, ₹619 And ₹649 Plans Also Removed
Airtel has also withdrawn the ₹579, ₹619 and ₹649 prepaid options.
These plans were aimed at customers looking for longer validity periods without opting for annual recharge plans.
Their removal further narrows the range of mid-tier prepaid options available to Airtel users.
The changes mean customers who previously selected these price points may now have to choose from higher-priced plans depending on their data and validity requirements.
Cheaper Plans Still Available
Airtel has not removed all of its lower-priced prepaid options.
The ₹199 plan remains available and provides 2GB of total data for 28 days. The ₹219 plan offers 3GB of total data for the same 28-day period.
However, these plans are different from the discontinued ₹299 pack because they do not offer the same daily-data structure.
For customers specifically looking for unlimited calling combined with daily data, the ₹349 plan has effectively become the more important entry-level option.
Airtel Wants Higher Revenue Per User
The restructuring comes as Airtel continues to focus on increasing its average revenue per user, or ARPU.
The company has been pushing for changes in telecom pricing that encourage customers who consume more data to pay more, rather than relying only on broad tariff increases across all users.
The latest move therefore appears to be a selective restructuring of its prepaid portfolio rather than a universal increase across every Airtel recharge.
Not A Full Tariff Hike Yet
The removal of the four plans has nevertheless raised fresh concerns about higher mobile costs.
For customers affected by the ₹299 plan withdrawal, the immediate increase is clear: the nearest daily-data alternative costs ₹349.
However, Airtel has not announced a broad-based tariff hike covering all its prepaid plans.
The company is instead removing selected price points and directing users towards other available options.
What Airtel Customers Should Know
Customers currently using one of the discontinued plans will continue to receive its benefits until their existing validity expires.
For the next recharge, however, they will need to select from Airtel’s current portfolio.
For users who want daily data and unlimited calling, ₹349 is now the key alternative to the discontinued ₹299 pack.
The latest changes indicate that Airtel is gradually reshaping its prepaid pricing structure, potentially putting greater emphasis on higher-value plans and stronger revenue per subscriber.
Summary
Airtel has discontinued its ₹299, ₹579, ₹619 and ₹649 prepaid plans across India from August 12. The ₹299 plan has been replaced by the ₹349 option, raising the price by around 16% while increasing daily data from 1.5GB to 2GB. Airtel says the changes are part of its prepaid portfolio restructuring rather than a blanket tariff hike. Lower-priced ₹199 and ₹219 plans remain available.
