There is relief news for users regarding mobile recharge. The Central Government has introduced the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026. Under this, provision is made to provide recharge plan with 30 days validity for prepaid mobile users. Apart from this, those who do not need mobile data will also get the option of voice and SMS only plans.

BJP MP Raghav Chadha informed about this change through a social media post on Sunday. He said that after the new rule, users will not need to recharge 13 times in a year as before. A total of 12 recharges can be made in a year with a plan with a validity of 30 days.

Users without data will also get the option

The new rule could prove especially beneficial for people who don’t need much internet data on their mobiles. Telecom companies have to offer voice and SMS-only plans for such users. Along with this, even those customers who primarily use the mobile for calling and SMS will have the option to choose a recharge as per their requirement and budget.

Raghav Chadha said in his post that many people had shared their problems with him regarding the recharge plan. He also raised the issue in Parliament on March 11 and demanded to provide more options and cheaper plans for consumers. He also thanked the Central Government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in this regard.

Good news for prepaid mobile users in India

With the government having just introduced the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, consumers will now have:

• 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year • Voice and SMS only plans pic.twitter.com/mfWVfMWNqR

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 27, 2026

TRAI has also issued new rules

Raghav Chadha’s post comes at a time when TRAI has introduced new rules on affordable voice and SMS-only Short Validity Tariff (STV) plans. According to TRAI, not every customer needs a bundled plan with data. Therefore, it is important for such people to have more options to choose mobile recharge according to their needs and financial capacity.

TRAI said that even after the implementation of Telecom Consumer Protection (Twelfth Amendment), 2024, the availability of voice and SMS-only STV plans in the market remained limited. Many of the plans available in the market had long validity periods, leaving fewer options for consumers looking for short-term recharges on tight budgets.

Now the new amendment aims to increase recharge options for such customers. Especially users with low income and only calling-SMS users will be able to choose a smaller and cheaper plan as per their needs.

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