Airtel Hikes Tariffs, Relaunches Rs 299 Plan with Lesser Benefits

• Airtel has brought back its Rs 299 prepaid plan with 1GB daily data and 28 days of validity.
• The recharge now excludes unlimited 5G and offers less daily data than the earlier version.
• The price remains Rs 299, meaning customers get fewer benefits at the same recharge cost.

Bharti Airtel has silently relaunched its Airtel Rs 299 Plan across all telecom circles in India. The recharge continues to cost Rs 299, but its benefits have been reduced. The pack now offers 1GB of data per day, unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS per day and 28 days of service validity.

This is not a direct tariff hike, as the recharge price has not changed. However, customers now receive less data and lose the unlimited 5G benefit that came with the earlier plan. In effect, Airtel is charging the same amount for a smaller bundle of services.

Airtel Rs 299 Plan: Old vs New Benefits

The revised pack keeps its price and validity unchanged, while daily data and 5G access have been cut. Here is how the old and relaunched Rs 299 recharge compare.

Daily Data Reduced from 1.5GB to 1GB

The biggest change to the Airtel Rs 299 Plan is its daily data allowance. The earlier recharge provided 1.5GB of data each day, while the relaunched version gives 1GB per day. That is a reduction of 500MB daily, or one-third of the previous allowance.

The unlimited 5G benefit has also been removed. The new plan includes its stated 1GB daily data allowance, with no unlimited 5G access listed as part of the pack. Customers who relied on the earlier 5G benefit will need to consider this change when choosing a recharge.

Voice calling remains unlimited, and the plan continues to provide 100 SMS per day. Its validity also stays at 28 days. With the recharge price unchanged, the average daily cost works out to around Rs 10.68 per day.

Airtel Had Withdrawn the Rs 299 Pack Earlier

Airtel had withdrawn four prepaid recharges during the September quarter: Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649. The removal of the Rs 299 option left customers looking for an alternative at a higher entry price.

Customers who shifted to the Rs 349 pack after the Rs 299 plan was withdrawn had to pay Rs 50 more upfront. That represented an increase of about 17% compared with the former Rs 299 recharge. The return of the lower-priced plan gives customers that option again, although its benefits are now reduced.

Relaunch Comes Amid Higher Mobile Churn

Airtel’s mobile churn increased from 2.6% to 2.9% in the September quarter. The company also recorded fewer subscriber additions than in the previous quarter. These figures provide a wider backdrop to the return of the Rs 299 prepaid recharge.

The relaunch may signal a partial retreat from Airtel’s effort to move prepaid customers towards costlier recharges. The company has been targeting an average revenue per user (ARPU) of Rs 300. ARPU is the average amount a telecom operator earns from each user over a period.

Bringing back a lower-priced recharge could help retain customers who prefer a smaller upfront payment. At the same time, the reduced daily data allowance may encourage moderate and heavy data users to buy data vouchers when they need extra internet access. Such additional purchases could support ARPU indirectly.

What the Revised Rs 299 Recharge Means

The plan’s return restores a Rs 299 recharge option, but it is not the same pack customers had earlier. Users get the same 28-day validity, unlimited calls and daily SMS benefit, while data is lower and unlimited 5G is no longer included.

Customers who mainly use mobile data for light browsing and messaging may still find the pack suitable. Those who need more data each day or used unlimited 5G on the previous recharge should compare the new benefits with their usage before recharging.

Conclusion

Airtel has relaunched the Rs 299 prepaid plan across India without changing its price, but the benefits have been trimmed. Daily data has dropped from 1.5GB to 1GB, and unlimited 5G has been removed. The plan keeps unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day and 28 days of validity. Its return offers a lower upfront recharge choice, while the reduced data could lead some users to spend more on add-on vouchers.

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