Airtel scraps several prepaid bundles, pushes Rs 349 plan as new cheapest option
Airtel has removed a set of prepaid recharge offers, including its popular Rs 299 pack, and now positions the Rs 349 28-day plan as its lowest-priced unlimited data option.
In a major overhaul of its prepaid catalog, Airtel withdrew four price points—Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649—along with several 1.5 GB-per-day and a 2 GB-per-day plan. Subscribers on the long-standing Rs 299 28-day unlimited pack are now required to switch to a Rs 349 offering that delivers identical data, representing roughly a 16% increase. The company also adjusted the Rs 859 plan to Rs 899, while keeping its ultra-low-end Rs 199 and Rs 219 options intact.
The changes follow a strong June-quarter profit surge, with Bharti Airtel reporting a 37.3% rise in profit after tax to Rs 8,167 crore and an 18.3% jump in revenue. Analysts view the move as a strategy to boost average revenue per user by 3-4% in the next periods. JM Financial noted that rivals have not yet mirrored the adjustments, suggesting Airtel is leading a shift toward higher-value prepaid packages.
Why it matters
The plan cuts raise prices for many prepaid users and signal Airtel's push for higher revenue per subscriber.
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