Private telecom players, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, are reportedly planning another round of tariff hikes by July or August 2025, ahead of the previously estimated November-December window. The move is driven by a favourable market environment with limited competition and continued regulatory forbearance.
How Tariff Hikes Are Justified
Experts like Mahesh Uppal, Director at Com First (India), believe that Airtel and Jio are in a strong position to increase prices. With Vodafone Idea and BSNL struggling, the risk of losing customers to competitors is minimal. TRAI’s non-interference on tariffs further encourages private players to push for higher pricing.
A Look Back at Previous Hikes
In July 2024, all major telecom operators raised tariffs between 10% and 27%.
- Airtel increased its minimum prepaid plan to ₹199 (from ₹179).
- The postpaid base plan was raised to ₹449 (from ₹399).
Although BSNL gained subscribers temporarily for keeping prices unchanged, Airtel and Jio have since bounced back. As of May 2025, BSNL lost 1.35 lakh subscribers, while Airtel and Jio added 2.5 lakh and 27 lakh subscribers, respectively.
Industry Leaders Push for Restructuring
Bharti Airtel’s Gopal Vittal recently stated that India’s tariffs are among the lowest in the world and need “repair.” He called for a complete overhaul of the telecom pricing model, moving away from the current “one-size-fits-all” system to ensure long-term sustainability and investment.
Similarly, Vodafone Idea’s CEO Akshaya Moondra justified tariff hikes at nine-month intervals, citing India’s challenging telecom environment.
What This Means for Users
Consumers should prepare for another round of increased mobile and data costs, especially on base prepaid and postpaid plans. While the hike may be necessary for sustaining industry health, it also raises concerns about affordability and digital inclusivity for millions of users relying on budget plans.
