MUMBAI
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India’s two biggest telecom service providers—Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Bharti Airtel Ltd—have quietly killed their cheapest prepaid data packs, prompting public grumbling. Mint explains what is causing complaints about a ‘duopoly’, and what alternatives do consumers have?

What have Reliance Jio and Airtel done with their data packs?

Last week, Reliance Jio and Airtel killed their entry-level data packs that offered 1GB data per day for ₹249, effectively raising minimum monthly prices for prepaid cellular data.

Jio now offers 1.5GB per day for ₹299, while Airtel’s monthly plan starts with 2GB per day for ₹349. Both plans run for 28 days. Effectively, prepaid customers of the country’s two biggest telecom operators must pay at least ₹300-350 for monthly data or contend with cheaper packs that offer limited data or validity periods. Meanwhile, smaller rival Vodafone Idea Ltd already offers 1GB per day at ₹299 for 28 days.

How does this change things for the companies?

With these changes, Jio and Airtel can nudge their customers who regularly (and heavily) use mobile data to consider more expensive prepaid plans, or even convert their accounts to postpaid.

Jio’s cheapest internet plan, at ₹299, is only slightly cheaper than its entry-level postpaid plan of ₹349 per month, which offers 30GB of data and a three-month subscription to streaming service JioStar.

Similarly, Airtel’s cheapest postpaid plan, at ₹449 per month, is only slightly more expensive than the existing prepaid data plan. It offers 50GB of data and subscriptions to several digital services.

If more customers are prompted to move to postpaid plans, it can translate to higher, more predictable revenues for telcos. Airtel’s shares had risen sharply the day it announced it was killing its entry-level plan; its shares are up by 1% over the past one month.

How does this affect customers?

Customers who use mobile internet regularly are left with few cheaper options. In the long run, this rise in prices may affect the penetration of mobile data in the country.

Already, the growth of mobile subscribers has stagnated. In June 2025, data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) showed the number of rural mobile subscribers fell across all major telecom service providers. Besides, rural tele-density—the number of mobile connections per 100 people in a given area—fell marginally to 58.82%, already low compared to urban tele-density of 125.31%.

Higher entry-level prices may prolong this stagnancy.

Are there alternatives?

Not particularly. Jio and Airtel command nearly 75% of the market, and together with Vodafone Idea, the three private companies have over 90%.

Public-sector undertakings continue to languish, with just under 8% market share, largely from BSNL. Globally, broadband internet is cheaper and more reliable than mobile internet. However, India’s broadband market has traditionally lagged behind mobile internet.

Trai data shows that in June 2025, India had only about 45 million wired broadband subscribers, most of whom were customers of Jio and Airtel. BSNL had reported two profitable quarters in 2025, but slipped into the red with a net loss of ₹1,049 crore in the June quarter.

Are the complaints of a telecom ‘duopoly’ true?

Perhaps. For most Indians, Jio and Airtel are the main options for using mobile internet and, increasingly, broadband as well. However, there are attempts to revive the competition. In May, Vodafone Idea approved plans to raise ₹20,000 crore. The telecom operator is in talks to raise ₹5,000 crore more in debt, reported news website Moneycontrol this week.

Last week, the government approved plans to spend ₹6,892 crore in capital expenditures to support BSNL. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Starlink also has received a unified licence from the department of telecom to offer satellite-based internet in the country. It has signed distribution agreements with Airtel and Reliance Jio.

Starlink has yet to announce an official launch date.