Reliance Jio has introduced new voice-only prepaid recharge plans in India, allowing customers to make calls and send SMS messages without paying for bundled mobile data. The new plans start at ₹147 and offer validity options ranging from 22 days to 336 days.
The launch follows recent directions from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which require telecom operators to offer dedicated voice-and-SMS recharge options for customers who do not need mobile internet.
Jio Voice-Only Plans: Prices and Benefits
Jio’s new prepaid portfolio includes four shorter-validity plans, alongside two longer-duration options. All six plans offer unlimited domestic voice calling without mobile data benefits.
The recharge options are:
- ₹147 plan: 22 days of validity and 300 SMS.
- ₹177 plan: 28 days of validity and 300 SMS.
- ₹196 plan: 30 days of validity and 300 SMS.
- ₹197 plan: One calendar month of validity and 300 SMS.
- ₹448 plan: 84 days of validity and 1,000 SMS.
- ₹1,748 plan: 336 days of validity and 3,600 SMS.
The ₹448 and ₹1,748 plans also include access to JioTV and JioAICloud. The shorter-duration plans are designed for customers who primarily require calling and messaging services.
₹197 Plan Offers Calendar-Month Validity
One of the notable additions is the ₹197 recharge, which offers validity for an entire calendar month rather than a fixed number of days.
For example, a customer recharging on November 5 can renew the plan on December 5. This makes it easier to manage monthly recharges without calculating the expiry date of a 28-day or 30-day plan.
The ₹196 plan, meanwhile, offers a fixed 30-day validity period.
The shorter plans could provide greater flexibility to customers who prefer monthly recharges, while the longer-duration options are suitable for those who want to maintain their mobile connections for extended periods.
Why Has Jio Introduced Voice-Only Plans?
The new plans follow TRAI’s updated telecom guidelines, which require operators to provide voice-and-SMS-only prepaid options.
The move is intended to benefit feature-phone users, senior citizens, customers who maintain secondary SIM cards and subscribers who rely on Wi-Fi for internet access.
Previously, these customers often had to pay for mobile data bundles even when they primarily used their connections for calls and messages.
Jio’s new plans allow such users to choose a recharge based on their actual requirements, potentially reducing unnecessary spending on unused data.
Jio Joins Airtel and Vi in Offering Dedicated Voice Plans
With the introduction of its new recharge options, Jio joins Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), which have also launched dedicated voice-and-SMS plans.
The expanded options give prepaid subscribers more flexibility in choosing their recharge validity and benefits.
For customers who require mobile internet, Jio’s existing data-inclusive recharge plans will continue to remain available. The new voice-only options are an additional choice for users who want calling and messaging without bundled data.
