New mobile recharge rule: validity now 30 days instead of 28, calling-only plans to return

There is relief in store for crores of prepaid mobile users. The central government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have made a major change to recharge rules, issuing the Telecom Consumer Protection Thirteenth Amendment Rules, 2026. The aim is to bring more transparency to recharge plans, give customers options suited to their needs, and make recharges cheaper than before.

In recent times, most telecom companies were selling recharge plans with 28 days of validity. This meant customers had to recharge 13 times a year instead of 12, since a year has 365 days but plans ran in 28-day cycles, putting the burden of an extra recharge on every customer. Under the new rules, telecom companies are now required to offer plans with a clear, full 30-day validity. This means customers will be able to recharge on the same date every month, cutting the number of recharges needed in a year from 13 to just 12. This will also reduce the hassle of remembering recharge dates and save some money.

Another key point in the new rules is that telecom companies must now offer separate recharge plans for customers who use their mobiles only for calls and SMS. Until now, such customers also had to take data-inclusive plans, forcing them to pay for data they did not need. Now they will be able to choose a separate plan for calling and SMS only. This will benefit most those customers who use little internet or mobile data, such as senior citizens, customers in rural areas, and people running mobile service on a tight budget.

The purpose behind these TRAI rules is to give customers full freedom to choose a recharge plan suited to their needs. Anyone who only wants to make calls will no longer have to pay for data they do not use. Plans limited to voice calls and SMS will give a cheaper option to those using basic mobile service, and the 30-day validity will make it easier to manage the monthly recharge.

The issue of recharge validity and limited plan options has been in discussion before, with customers repeatedly complaining and demanding cheaper options. Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha raised this issue in Parliament on March 11. He placed before the House the problem of limited options in recharge plans and the difficulties this caused customers, and demanded that customers be given cheaper and more flexible recharge options.

Taken together, the change brings two major benefits for mobile customers. First, a 30-day validity recharge, meaning only 12 recharges a year instead of 13. Second, a separate plan for calling and SMS only for those who do not need data. This will make the recharge system more transparent than before and let people choose plans according to their needs and budget. Following this change, Raghav Chadha thanked the Government of India and TRAI, saying the change was made keeping in mind customer convenience, their benefit and their right to choose the right plan.