Airtel is increasingly steering heavy-data prepaid users toward 3GB daily plans with OTT benefits as lower-priced recharge options disappear.
Bharti Airtel is reshaping its prepaid portfolio around higher-data plans, with its heavy-use segment increasingly centred on recharges offering 3GB of daily data and bundled OTT benefits. The shift comes after Airtel withdrew several lower-priced daily-data plans, including the popular Rs 299 and Rs 579 packs, pushing some users towards more expensive alternatives.
Airtel’s current high-data lineup includes the Rs 838 plan with 3GB of daily data for 56 days and the Rs 1,798 plan with 3GB per day for 84 days. Both plans also include unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day and access to additional digital benefits, while eligible 5G users can receive unlimited 5G data in supported areas.
Airtel Rs 838 Plan Targets Heavy Data Users
The Rs 838 recharge provides 3GB of high-speed data every day for 56 days, giving subscribers a total daily-data allowance of up to 168GB during the validity period. The plan also includes Amazon Prime Lite and Airtel Xstream Play Premium, which provides access to a collection of OTT platforms.
For users who regularly consume large amounts of mobile data for video streaming, social media, gaming and other online services, the plan provides a higher data allocation than Airtel’s mainstream 2GB/day offerings. The combination of 3GB daily data and OTT benefits also gives Airtel a way to position the higher-priced pack around entertainment rather than connectivity alone.
Rs 1,798 Plan Extends 3GB Data to 84 Days
The Rs 1,798 recharge takes the same 3GB-per-day approach to a longer validity period of 84 days. It offers up to 252GB of daily-allocated data over the full validity period, along with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS per day.
The plan also includes Netflix Basic, making it a more premium option for customers who want both a large mobile-data allowance and a bundled streaming subscription. Airtel’s current prepaid terms list Rs 1,798 among the plans that offer unlimited calling and daily-data benefits.
Airtel Removes Popular 1.5GB Daily Plans
The bigger change in Airtel’s prepaid strategy has happened lower down the portfolio. In August, the company discontinued several plans, including Rs 299, Rs 319, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 options, removing a number of plans that offered 1.5GB of daily data or similar lower-priced benefits.
The Rs 299 plan was particularly significant because it had been a widely used entry-level daily-data recharge. After its withdrawal, the Rs 349 plan became the key replacement for customers seeking a 28-day daily-data pack, although it provides 2GB per day rather than the previous 1.5GB. That effectively raises the minimum spend for users who previously relied on the Rs 299 option.
The changes are not simply about removing data. Airtel is also reducing the number of lower-priced choices available to prepaid customers, creating a clearer progression towards higher-value plans.
OTT Benefits Become More Important
Airtel’s prepaid strategy increasingly combines connectivity with entertainment benefits. Plans such as Rs 838 and Rs 1,798 use services such as Amazon Prime Lite, Netflix and Airtel Xstream Play to add perceived value to higher recharge amounts.
This approach can make a more expensive plan easier to justify for customers who already pay separately for streaming services. Rather than competing only on the price of each gigabyte, Airtel can package mobile data with entertainment and digital services to differentiate its premium prepaid options.
Airtel’s terms currently list several prepaid price points with bundled OTT benefits, including the Rs 838 and Rs 1,798 plans.
The Move Fits Airtel’s ARPU Strategy
The restructuring comes as Indian telecom operators look for ways to increase revenue from existing customers without immediately implementing another broad-based tariff hike. Airtel’s recent removal of lower-priced plans has been interpreted by analysts as part of a broader premiumisation strategy designed to encourage customers to migrate to higher-value recharges.
That strategy is significant because prepaid users can often remain on the same recharge for long periods. By removing some lower-value options and strengthening higher-data tiers, Airtel can encourage customers to spend more at each recharge while offering additional data or digital benefits in return.
However, the impact on Airtel’s overall ARPU will depend on how customers respond. Some subscribers may move to higher-priced plans, while others could reduce their data consumption, switch operators or choose plans with different validity periods.
Airtel’s Prepaid Portfolio Is Becoming More Premium
The current lineup shows a clearer separation between basic connectivity plans and higher-value data bundles. Customers who need only moderate data have fewer low-cost daily-data options, while heavy users are increasingly being directed towards 2GB/day and 3GB/day plans with additional digital benefits.
For Airtel, the objective appears to be a combination of higher customer monetisation and stronger retention through bundled services. The strategy also gives the operator more room to increase the value of individual recharges without relying entirely on an across-the-board tariff increase.
As Jio and Vodafone Idea respond to similar industry pressures, the evolution of Airtel’s prepaid portfolio could provide an early indication of where India’s mobile pricing market is heading next: fewer low-value choices, larger data allowances at higher price points and increasingly important OTT bundles.
