Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on 27 September 2026 welcomed the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, calling the introduction of 30-day recharge plans a victory for low-budget prepaid mobile users across India. The new rules, issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), mandate telecom operators to offer voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) alongside bundled data plans, giving consumers greater flexibility in choosing prepaid options.

What the New Regulations Change

Under the amended framework, telecom service providers are now required to offer voice and SMS-only STVs with validity periods that correspond to every 30-day and sub-30-day bundled plan already available. The key practical benefit: prepaid users will need to make 12 monthly recharges in a year instead of 13, since the shift from 28-day cycles to true 30-day cycles eliminates one extra recharge cycle annually. Consumers who do not use mobile data — including a significant segment of rural and elderly users — will now have access to affordable plans tailored specifically to voice calls and SMS.

Chadha's Parliamentary Push

Raghav Chadha had raised the issue of inflexible and consumer-unfriendly recharge cycles in Parliament on 11 March, flagging concerns over the practice of telecom companies offering 28-day ‘monthly’ recharges that effectively forced users into 13 billing cycles a year. In an X post, Chadha stated: “Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India. The Govt just introduced Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, consumers will now have: 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year, Voice and SMS-only plans for those who do not need data and more suitable options for low-budget consumers who primarily need basic voice calls.” He added: “Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March, seeking greater choice and more affordable options for consumers. I am grateful to the Government of India and TRAI for resolving these concerns in the interest of greater consumer choice and convenience.”

What Are Special Tariff Vouchers

Special Tariff Vouchers are prepaid tariff products offered by telecom operators for specific services and defined validity periods. Until now, the STV ecosystem was heavily skewed toward bundled voice, SMS, and data packages, leaving users who only needed calling and messaging with limited options. The amended regulations directly address this gap by making voice-and-SMS-only STVs mandatory wherever a bundled equivalent exists.

Impact on Consumers

The changes are expected to benefit a broad section of India’s prepaid subscriber base, particularly those on lower incomes or in areas with limited data connectivity. By no longer requiring consumers to pay for bundled data they do not use, the regulations introduce a degree of ‘pay for what you need’ logic into India’s prepaid market. This comes amid sustained criticism that India’s telecom tariff hikes over the past two years have disproportionately burdened budget users. Notably, TRAI’s move marks a structural shift in how STVs are regulated, and telecom operators will now need to restructure their prepaid product portfolios accordingly.

What Happens Next

Telecom operators are expected to roll out compliant prepaid plans in line with the new regulatory mandate. Consumer groups and industry observers will watch closely to see how quickly providers adapt their offerings and whether the voice-and-SMS-only options are priced accessibly. The full impact on telecom company revenues remains to be assessed, given that data bundling has been a key revenue driver in the post-Jio era.