India’s largest telecom services company by revenue — Bharti Airtel — is in the process of rolling out new plans including one that offers 2 GB of data per day at just Rs 349 in addition to unlimited calling for 28 days, according to the offers found by users on their MyAirtel apps.
The same scheme costs Rs 499 on Reliance Jio, though under the company’s Dhan Dhana Dhan offer, the Mukesh Ambani-led firm provides three offer for a period of 84 days instead of 28 days.
Idea Cellular and Vodafone India do not have any similar plan that gives 2GB of data per day.
These plans are currently not be available to all customers but only those selected by the company.
Unlike Reliance Jio, the company will not stop at 2GB per day, but go all the way to 3.5GB per day.
While 349 per month will give 2 GB per day, adding another Rs 200 will give 2.5 GB per day. You can get 3GB at Rs 799 and 3.5 GB at Rs 999 for 28 days (see table at the bottom).
70-DAY PLANS
In addition, to take on Jio’s 84-day plans, Airtel will also come up with 70-day plans.
Under these longer plans, Rs 244 will give 1 GB per day along with unlimited on-net calls for 70 days. In comparison, Jio gives 1 GB per day plus unlimited free voice — including roaming — for 84 days at Rs 309.
However, if you want to get 2 GB per day for 70 days, then you have to recharge with Rs 899 — compared with Rs 499 on Jio. Like in case of its competitor, Bharti too will offer free voice including roaming on this plan.
In the 70-day schemes, the maximum daily-data offered goes up only to only 2.5 GB per day, and not 3.5 GB like in case of the 28-day schemes. And it costs quite a bit — Rs 1,198.
The latest report has come in the wake of rumors that Airtel is about to reveal a big change in its data tariff schemes.
COMPETITIVE REACTION
Bharti is all set to reveal a steep decline in its revenue and profit when it reports its financial results for the three months from January to March later this month.
Incumbent operators like Airtel, Idea and Vodafone have been hit by cheap data offers from newcomer Reliance Jio.
A year ago, these operators were charging about Rs 225 per GB, while these plans — if correct — price 1 GB as low as Rs 3.50 per GB.
The move by the market leader also puts pressure on Idea Cellular and Vodafone to come up with similar schemes. The two companies are in the middle of a merger that is expected to be completed over the next eight months or so.
| Recharge | GB/day | Free Voice | Free Roam | Validity |
| 349 | 2 | Y | N | 28 |
| 549 | 2.5 | Y | N | 28 |
| 799 | 3 | Y | Y | 28 |
| 999 | 3.5 | Y | Y | 28 |
| 244 | 1 | Onnet | N | 70 |
| 399 | 1 | Y | N | 70 |
| 498 | 1.25 | Y | N | 70 |
| 648 | 1.5 | Y | N | 70 |
| 899 | 2 | Y | Y | 70 |
| 1198 | 2.5 | Y | Y | 70 |