Now Reading: Airtel drops Rs 299 prepaid plan, Rs 349 now cheapest option
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Airtel drops Rs 299 prepaid plan, Rs 349 now cheapest option
Airtel has discontinued its Rs 299 prepaid recharge pack, making the Rs 349 plan its most affordable option. The Rs 299 plan, which offered unlimited calling, 1GB daily data, 100 SMS per…
The Story in Brief
Airtel has discontinued its Rs 299 prepaid recharge pack, making the Rs 349 plan its most affordable option. The Rs 299 plan, which offered unlimited calling, 1GB daily data, 100 SMS per day, and benefits like a Perplexity Pro AI subscription and free caller tunes, was removed nearly a year after its price was hiked. The Rs 349 plan now gives unlimited local and STD calls, 2GB daily data, 100 SMS, and a 28-day validity, along with extras like a six-month Apple Music subscription and Adobe Express Premium.
The telecom giant has also delisted the Rs 579 prepaid plan in some circles, according to tipster Sanju Choudhary, though Times Now News reports the Rs 579 and Rs 619 plans were still visible on Airtel's website as of this writing. This follows a series of price hikes by Airtel over the past year, with subscribers now forced to pay at least Rs 349 for a basic recharge pack.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that Airtel's removal of the Rs 299 plan is just another step in a 'price hike spree' misses the point: telecom tariffs in India remain among the cheapest in the world, and operators need revenue to invest in 5G and rural coverage. The real test is whether the Rs 349 plan offers enough value, with higher daily data and free subscriptions, to justify the extra Rs 50 for the average user. Watch for subscriber churn numbers in the next quarterly report to see if customers accept this as the new normal.
Sources (2): gadgets360.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
