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Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) now all sell voice-only plans, and the prices are close. For a 28-day plan with unlimited calls and 300 SMS, Jio charges ₹177, against ₹185 at both Airtel and Vi. Jio is also the cheapest on the 30-day, calendar-month and 84-day plans. Only over a full year do Airtel and Vi work out cheaper per day.
The plans exist because the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ordered operators to sell standalone voice and SMS packs, instead of only recharges bundled with data. Airtel moved first, in mid-October, launching three plans ahead of TRAI’s 21 October deadline. Vi and Jio have each added four short-validity plans since 30 October. We have reported on each operator’s range separately, in our reports on Airtel, Vi and Jio. This report puts them side by side.
How the voice-only plans line up on price
| Validity | Jio | Airtel | Vi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 days | ₹147 | – | – |
| 25 days | – | – | ₹179 |
| 28 days | ₹177 | ₹185 | ₹185 |
| 30 days | ₹196 | ₹203 | ₹203 |
| Calendar month | ₹197 | ₹206 | ₹206 |
Every plan in the table includes unlimited calls and 300 SMS for the full validity period, with no mobile data.
Airtel and Vi charge the same from ₹185
Airtel’s three plans cost ₹185, ₹203 and ₹206, with 28 days, 30 days and one calendar month of validity. They include unlimited local, STD and roaming calls and free HelloTunes. Vi’s range starts lower, at ₹179 for 25 days, and then carries the same ₹185, ₹203 and ₹206 price points. Vi’s ₹179 plan also includes access to the Vi Movies & TV app.
Jio’s monthly plans are ₹7 to ₹9 cheaper
Jio lists four short plans at ₹147, ₹177, ₹196 and ₹197, which are 22 days, 28 days, 30 days and one calendar month. Against the matching Airtel and Vi plans, that is ₹8 less for 28 days, ₹7 less for 30 days and ₹9 less for a calendar month. The ₹147 plan has no equivalent at the other two, and it costs ₹92 less than Jio’s regular ₹239 plan, which also has 22 days of validity but adds 1.5GB of daily data.
Longer voice-only plans: Jio leads at 84 days, Airtel and Vi over a year
For people who want to recharge once and forget about it, all three operators sell an 84-day pack and a year-long pack. Jio’s ₹448 plan runs 84 days with 1,000 SMS. Airtel’s ₹469 plan and Vi’s ₹470 plan also cover 84 days, but with 900 SMS each, so Jio is ₹21 cheaper than Airtel and ₹22 cheaper than Vi.
| Longer plans | Jio | Airtel | Vi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84 days | ₹448 | ₹469 | ₹470 |
| 84 days, SMS | 1,000 | 900 | 900 |
| 84 days, per day | ₹5.33 | ₹5.58 | ₹5.60 |
| About a year | ₹1,748 (336 days) | ₹1,849 (365 days) | ₹1,849 (365 days) |
| About a year, SMS | 3,600 | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| About a year, per day | ₹5.20 | ₹5.07 | ₹5.07 |
Over a year the order reverses. Jio’s ₹1,748 plan costs ₹101 less upfront than the ₹1,849 plans at Airtel and Vi, but it covers 29 fewer days (336 against 365), so Airtel and Vi work out cheaper per day. All of the long plans include unlimited calls. Airtel’s long plans add free HelloTunes, and Jio’s add JioTV and Jio AI Cloud.
Who voice-only plans are for
The plans are aimed at feature-phone users and people with a secondary SIM who rely on Wi-Fi for internet. Anyone who still needs mobile data will not find it here. On Vi, data outside a bundle is charged at 50 paise per MB, and SMS beyond the 300 included costs ₹1 for local and ₹1.50 for STD. The 300 SMS is a total for the whole validity, not a daily allowance.
Prices can vary by circle and may change, so check the Jio, Airtel or Vi app before you recharge.
Voice-only plans: quick answers
- Cheapest voice-only plan: Jio’s ₹147, valid for 22 days. For 28 days, Jio’s ₹177 is the cheapest, and for 84 days Jio’s ₹448. For a full year, the ₹1,849 plans at Airtel and Vi work out cheapest per day.
- Do they include data? No, none of the plans include mobile data.
- How many SMS? 300 in total on the short plans, 900 to 1,000 on the 84-day plans and 3,600 on the year-long plans.