The tariff war among the Indian telecom companies sees no end in sight as they continue to roll out new tariff plans to give the rivals a run for their money. The battle between Airtel, India's largest telco, and Reliance Jio, the fastest growing player in the industry, has been intense in the past couple of months, and it continues to grow with every passing day.
Since Reliance Jio's tariffs are considered the best in terms of offering unlimited calls and 4G data, Airtel has been offering plans that are hard to forgo. In a pitched effort to counter Jio's offers, Airtel has introduced a series of new ultra-low data and voice call recharge packs for prepaid users starting at just Rs.8.
Airtel's new prepaid plans offer a range of options for its customers, who can choose from low call rates, unlimited 4G data and more. These plans aggressively compete with Jio's Rs. 149, Rs. 349 and Rs. 399 plans. Let's take a look at them below:
Airtel is offering local and STD calls at flat 30 paise per minute for 56 days with its Rs. 8 plan. The Rs. 40 and Rs. 60 plans offer Rs. 35 and Rs. 58 talk time with unlimited validity. But things get interesting with the Rs. 149 plan, which offers unlimited Airtel to Airtel calls, 2GB, 4G data for 28 days, and Rs. 349 plan that gives unlimited local and STD calls with 1GB data per day for 28 days.
Airtel's Rs. 399 plan suits best for those who require 4G data and voice calls at best rates. Users get 1GB 4G data per day with unlimited local and STD calls for an extended period of 84 days. This particular recharge pack puts Jio in a tough spot.
Reliance Jio has a similar plan where it offers unlimited local and STD voice calls and 84GB 4G data for 84 days for Rs. 399. The only differentiating factor is Jio's access to MyJio apps, which includes JioCinema, JioMusic, JioTV and others.
Reliance Jio also has lower tariffs at Rs.149, which gives unlimited voice calling facility across circles with 2GB 4G data for 28 days. It is clear that Jio beats Airtel with this plan by offering free calls outside Jio's circle whereas Airtel limits users to its own circle.
Other attractive Jio tariffs for low denominations include Rs. 49 plan, which comes with unlimited calls, 600MB 4G data for 3 days and Rs. 19 plan gives users unlimited voice calls and 200MB 4G data for a day.
But Airtel has significantly closed the gap in terms of data and voice call tariffs with Reliance Jio. What's next for the Indian telecom industry now? Stay tuned for more.
