Trai’s regulation on voice-SM pricing may slow telco premiumisation

Telecom operators’ ability to drive premiumisation through bundled data plans could come under pressure if the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) latest draft tariff changes are implemented, analysts and industry experts said.

The impact expected to be sharper on companies with large feature phone user bases such as Vodafone Idea and BSNL, while remaining limited for Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, the added.

The draft Telecom Consumer Protection (13th Amendment) Regulation, 2026 proposes that operators offer voice and SMS-only plans across all validity periods, with tariffs proportionately lower than bundled offerings.