Source CNBC TV18
Bharti Airtel has increased the price of its postpaid plans by ₹50, giving Indian telecom customers another reason to watch their monthly phone bills. The new plans will come into effect from October 8, 2026, and Airtel has added international roaming benefits along with the higher prices.
The bigger question now is whether Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) will follow Airtel’s move. Looking at the telecom industry’s past, there are reasons to believe that rivals could eventually make similar changes.
Airtel’s New Plans Cost More
Airtel’s entry-level postpaid plan will now start at ₹499 per month, compared with ₹449 earlier. Family plans have also become ₹50 more expensive across different slabs.
While the increase is the same ₹50 across plans, the percentage increase is higher for cheaper plans. The rise ranges from about 3% to 11%.
However, Airtel is also adding a new benefit. Every SIM on the new postpaid plans will get one free international roaming trip each year. The five-day roaming pack includes 5GB data, 60 minutes of calls and 25 outgoing SMS messages.
Why Are Jio and Vi Being Watched?
Airtel’s move comes at a time when telecom companies are looking for ways to increase revenue from each customer. Postpaid users are particularly important because they generally provide more stable monthly revenue.
The key issue is whether Jio and Vi will also raise prices or instead offer more benefits at current rates to attract customers.
Industry analysts have often seen telecom companies move in the same direction after one major player changes tariffs.
What Happened in Previous Tariff Hikes?
The telecom industry has a clear history of companies following one another.
In 2019, Airtel and Vodafone Idea announced tariff increases, and Jio followed just three days later. The increases helped improve the average revenue earned from each customer.
In November 2021, Airtel again took the lead with a broad price increase. Vodafone Idea followed the next day, while Jio announced its hike six days later.
The pattern was repeated in 2024, although Jio took the lead that time. Jio increased tariffs by 12% to 27% on June 27, followed by Airtel the next day and Vodafone Idea two days later.
Will History Repeat Itself?
There is no confirmation yet that Jio or Vi will raise their postpaid prices following Airtel. However, past trends show that major tariff changes in India’s telecom market often spread across operators.
Analysts have also expected another round of telecom price increases as companies look to improve average revenue per user and recover the large costs linked to network and 5G investments.
For customers, the immediate impact may be limited to Airtel postpaid users. But if Jio and Vi follow, monthly mobile bills could rise for a much larger number of consumers.
What Should Customers Expect?
For now, Airtel users will have to pay more, although frequent international travellers may find the new roaming benefit useful.
The bigger story will be what Jio and Vi do next. If the past is any guide, Airtel’s decision could be the first move in another round of pricing changes across India’s telecom sector.
