Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, is making changes to its Rs 161 prepaid data voucher. While the price remains consistent, the benefits offered to subscribers are being adjusted, leading to a higher effective cost in certain circles.
Changes to the Rs 161 Data Voucher
The Rs 161 plan is an add-on data voucher intended for users with an existing active base prepaid plan; it does not provide independent service validity. According to TelecomTalk, the benefits now vary depending on the user’s location.
In Delhi, the Rs 161 plan continues to offer 12GB of data for 30 days, with no additional benefits. However, in Chennai, Airtel has reduced the validity period to 15 days, despite increasing the data allowance to 15GB. This means users will need to recharge more frequently to maintain uninterrupted data service.
This adjustment is expected to help Airtel capitalise on India’s increasing data consumption and boost its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). The company is reportedly aiming to exceed an ARPU of Rs 300 with further tariff adjustments, though the timing of those changes remains unspecified.
