The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued new regulations designed to expand affordable recharge options, particularly for consumers who primarily use voice calling and SMS. The rules, released as the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, require telecom providers to offer voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with validity periods of 30 days or less.
Addressing Limited Options for Low-Income Users
TRAI initiated this change after observing that existing voice and SMS STVs often came with longer validity periods, limiting affordable short-duration choices for low-income consumers. According to a statement released on September 22, 2026, TRAI noted that following the Twelfth Amendment to the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations in 2024, the availability of suitable STVs remained limited.
The regulator received 1,132 responses from stakeholders and held an Open House Discussion on June 15, 2026, before finalizing the amended regulations. TRAI believes the new framework will address consumer needs by providing greater flexibility in selecting recharge durations.
Key Requirements for Telecom Providers
Under the new rules, telecom service providers must offer voice-and-SMS-only STVs with a corresponding tariff reduction for each validity period of 30 days or less. Providers are also required to offer an STV with a monthly-renewable validity, defaulting to the last day of the month if the renewal date doesn’t exist in a given month.
In addition to these short-term options, at least one voice-and-SMS-only STV must be available with a validity matching the longer durations of existing voice, SMS, and data STVs.
TRAI stated that the aim is to improve choices for consumers who do not want data bundled with their plans, allowing them to recharge according to their needs and financial capacity.
