TRAI Requires Voice-and-SMS-Only Vouchers for Every Short Bundled Validity

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026. They require telecom operators to sell voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers, called STVs, alongside the bundled vouchers that carry voice, SMS and mobile data. TelecomTalk and The Hans India technology report give 22 September 2026 as the release date, and India.com gives 21 September as the issue date.

The change is aimed at two groups: people who want calls and texts without paying for data, and low-income consumers who had few short-duration options of that kind. For each short bundled validity an operator sells, it must now also offer a cheaper voice-and-SMS-only option for the same period. According to India.com and The Hans India technology report, the rules take effect 30 days after publication in the Gazette of India, but the Gazette publication date itself is not given in these reports.

What Operators Must Now Offer

The core obligation is tied to the bundled vouchers an operator already sells. Where an operator offers a voice, SMS and data voucher for a particular validity period, it must also offer a voice-and-SMS-only voucher for that same period. The rules apply this to every validity period of 30 days or less, so each short bundled validity needs a counterpart.

The Hans India technology report gives an example: a 28-day bundled plan would need a 28-day voice-and-SMS-only version. The same report describes the requirement as matching each bundled validity of 30 days or less, so the counterpart carries the same duration as the plan it mirrors.

The voice-and-SMS-only voucher must carry an appropriate reduction in tariff compared with the bundled voucher. India.com describes this as an appropriate tariff discount, and the rules do not set a rupee amount for it. The Hans India technology report says whether a prepaid bill shrinks is up to the operators, since no fixed discount had been announced.

Which Validity Periods Are Covered

The rules name three categories. The first covers every validity period of 30 days or less at which a voice, SMS and data voucher is sold. Each of those periods needs a matching voice-and-SMS-only voucher.

The second is a voucher whose validity renews on the same date every month. India.com says operators must provide at least one such plan. Where a month does not have that date, the renewal falls on the last day of that month, according to Indian Infrastructure.

The third concerns longer validities. According to TelecomTalk and Indian Infrastructure, operators must offer at least one voice-and-SMS-only voucher with a validity longer than the periods above, corresponding to the validity period of existing bundled vouchers. India.com says standalone options for longer validities must match the durations of existing bundled plans.

Why TRAI Acted

According to Indian Infrastructure, TRAI observed that only a limited number of voice-and-SMS-only vouchers were on offer, concentrated on longer validities. The regulator said this left low-income consumers deprived of affordable shorter-duration choices.

The Hans India business report says consumers who do not require data are often compelled to buy bundled packs that include it, which leads to avoidable expenditure and limited choice.

Goodreturns describes the same gap from the consumer side: people had to buy expensive packs because cheaper recharge options were very few.

Who the Rules Are Written For

TelecomTalk says the new framework aims to expand affordable short-duration recharge choices, particularly for low-income consumers and subscribers who do not use data services. Those are the two groups the report names as the focus of the change.

Goodreturns says the aim is more choice in prepaid recharges. The Hans India business report says the options are meant to let consumers recharge according to their requirements and financial capacity.

TelecomTalk reports TRAI saying the revised tariff framework is intended to provide greater flexibility in choosing recharge durations.

The rules require a cheaper option, but they set no rupee gap between it and the bundled voucher.

How the Rules Were Drafted

TRAI issued a draft of the amendment on 7 April 2026, and held an open house discussion on it on 15 June 2026, according to MediaBrief, TelecomTalk and Indian Infrastructure. MediaBrief says the final regulations were finalised after stakeholder consultation.

The amendment builds on the 2024 regulations. MediaBrief says that before it, operators were offering only a limited number of voice-and-SMS-only vouchers, largely concentrated around longer validity periods. The 2026 amendment addresses that limitation by requiring voice-and-SMS-only vouchers for validities of 30 days or less.

How Much Users Could Save, and When It Applies

The rules require a cheaper option, but they set no rupee gap between it and the bundled voucher. Goodreturns says the draft regulation provided that the price reduction should be proportional to the removal of data services from the bundled voucher, and reported that no operator-specific price had been announced.

Consumers can check the plans once their service providers release them, according to Goodreturns.

The rules take effect 30 days after publication in the Gazette of India, according to India.com and the Hans India technology report. The Hans India technology report says they might begin in October 2026, but neither report gives the Gazette publication date.