In 2026, mobile recharge plans in India are set to become 16-20% more expensive. Telecom giants like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea plan to hike prepaid and postpaid tariffs. 5G users may face the highest impact, while mid-range plans of Vi will also see price increases.
20% Tariff Hike by Jio, Airtel, Vi in 2026
New Delhi: There's bad news for mobile users in 2026. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea may increase the prices of their prepaid and postpaid plans by 16 to 20 percent. Several selected plans have already had tariff increases notified to the authorities. This change could directly impact the pockets of ordinary users.
According to reports, users of 5G plans will feel the pinch of inflation the most. The last tariff hike was in July 2023, and now, two years later, companies are preparing to raise prices again. The telecom companies aim to increase their Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).
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According to experts, Airtel's 28-day unlimited 5G plan could increase from Rs 319 to Rs 419. Jio's 1.5GB daily data plan could rise from Rs 299 to Rs 359. Additionally, the 28-day 5G plan priced at Rs 349 could increase to Rs 429. Users may have to spend Rs 80 to Rs 100 more every month.
Vodafone Idea users will also not be spared from the price hikes. The 28-day 1GB daily data plan could increase from Rs 340 to Rs 419, and the 56-day 2GB daily data plan could rise from Rs 579 to Rs 699. Thus, Vi's mid-range plans will also be affected by the tariff hike.
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Telecom companies often don't directly increase prices. Sometimes, the validity of the plan is reduced, or the benefits offered are decreased. Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL have recently changed the validity and benefits of several prepaid plans. This results in users having to recharge repeatedly to get the same services, and the overall cost increases.
