Airtel Drops Cheapest 1GB Daily Plan, Users Now Need to Pay More

India’s second-largest telecom operator, Airtel, has officially discontinued its cheapest 1GB per day data plan, forcing subscribers to spend more on mobile recharges. The move comes shortly after Reliance Jio also scrapped its entry-level daily data plan. This change is likely to impact low-income users who relied on affordable recharge packs for essential internet access.

Airtel Removes Rs 249 Plan

Until recently, Airtel offered a ₹249 prepaid plan that included:

• 1GB data per day

• Unlimited voice calling

• 100 SMS per day

• Validity: 24 days

• Additional benefits: HelloTunes, Perplexity Pro AI, and Xstream Play

This plan has now been removed from Airtel’s official website and mobile app, making it unavailable for new recharges.

What’s the Replacement Plan?

With the ₹249 plan gone, customers must now switch to Airtel’s ₹299 plan, which offers similar benefits with minor adjustments:

• 1GB data per day

• Unlimited calling + 100 SMS per day

• 28-day validity (4 days extra compared to the old plan)

• Same extra benefits: HelloTunes, Perplexity Pro AI, and Xstream Play

Effectively, users will now have to pay ₹50 extra for the same daily data limit, but with 4 additional days of usage. This makes the cost of accessing Airtel’s daily data plans slightly higher per recharge cycle.

Impact on Users

The removal of the ₹249 plan is likely to hit lower-income customers the hardest. For many, the ₹50 increase represents a significant extra expense in monthly mobile usage.

While the ₹299 plan offers better value on a per-day basis, the higher upfront cost could discourage affordability-focused users from staying on Airtel.

Jio’s Similar Move

Interestingly, Airtel’s decision comes soon after Reliance Jio removed its own ₹249 plan. Jio’s discontinued pack previously offered 1GB daily data for 28 days.

Now, Jio’s cheapest 28-day plan starts at ₹299, but with 1.5GB daily data instead of 1GB. Unlike Airtel, Jio has entirely moved away from 1GB/day packs, pushing customers towards higher data usage plans.

Airtel’s Pricing Strategy Explained

During a recent earnings call, Gopal Vittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, discussed India’s low telecom pricing structure compared to other countries.

He highlighted the following points:

• Data services in India are priced far lower than in other markets, even in countries with lower average incomes.

• At the basic service level, customers already receive large amounts of data, calls, and SMS for a minimal fee.

• This pricing model leaves little incentive for users to upgrade to more expensive plans.

• Ironically, wealthier users end up paying less for services, while telecom operators struggle to maintain profitability.

Vittal suggested that the current pricing ecosystem is imbalanced and unsustainable in the long run.

Contradiction in Airtel’s Actions

Interestingly, Airtel’s decision to discontinue the cheaper ₹249 plan directly contradicts Vittal’s earlier statements about affordability. By eliminating its entry-level 1GB plan, Airtel has increased the financial burden on lower-income users, while wealthier users with higher data consumption continue to enjoy better value per rupee spent.

This highlights a pricing paradox within the telecom sector: while operators push for sustainability and revenue growth, it is the budget-conscious customers who face the immediate cost impact.

The Bigger Picture: Rising Telecom Costs in India

With both Jio and Airtel discontinuing their cheapest 1GB/day plans, the industry appears to be entering a new phase of tariff realignment. This could mean:

• Entry-level data packs becoming less affordable.

• Telecom operators focusing on ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) growth.

• Customers being nudged towards higher-priced data packs with larger allowances.

For users, this signals the end of ultra-cheap daily data packs, which were once the backbone of India’s mobile data revolution.

Conclusion

Airtel’s decision to remove the ₹249 plan follows a broader trend of telecom price hikes in India. With the cheapest 1GB daily pack gone, customers must now recharge with the ₹299 plan, effectively paying more for the same data needs.

As Airtel and Jio both shift away from ultra-low-cost plans, India’s telecom landscape is entering a new era where affordability is no longer the primary focus, but profitability and sustainability take center stage.