Airtel brings back Rs 299 prepaid plan with data cut to 1GB a day

Bharti Airtel has made available again the Rs 299 prepaid recharge plan that it discontinued in August 2026. However, the data benefits this time are reportedly not the same as before. Customers should check the plan's benefits before recharging.

According to the information available, the plan is valid for 28 days. It offers unlimited voice calling on any network and up to 100 SMS a day. The plan is also claimed to come with a 12-month Adobe Express Premium subscription, which could make it possible to create designs, edit photos and use AI-based creative tools. Eligibility and conditions for this benefit should be checked in the plan's official details.

The biggest change is in internet data. The Rs 299 plan earlier gave 1.5GB a day. It is now said to offer 1GB a day, or 28GB in all. It is also claimed that unlimited 5G data is not available with the plan.

Customers who need more internet after exhausting the daily limit may have to buy a separate data voucher. Those who stream video, play online games or download large files should take particular note of the change. Customers have been advised to check the terms on Airtel's official website or app before recharging.

According to the information available, after the Rs 299 plan was withdrawn in August 2026, Airtel's cheapest plan with daily data became the Rs 349 plan. This put an additional cost burden on customers who wanted a lower-priced recharge.

It is also claimed that the pace of adding new customers slowed in the second quarter. In the first quarter, 33 lakh new customers were added, while the figure fell to 7.16 lakh in the second quarter. These figures need independent official confirmation. Lower-priced plans from Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea are also available to customers as options. Bringing back the Rs 299 plan could therefore prove an important decision for retaining customers.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) is also an important issue. According to the information available, Airtel's ARPU in the September quarter was Rs 271, against Rs 219 for Jio. These figures need to be checked against the relevant financial reports.