Indian telcos oppose Trai mandate for standalone voice-SMS plans

TL;DR: Indian telecom operators told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) they oppose a proposed mandate for cheaper standalone voice and SMS plans without data and short validity options, according to an Economic Times report published on June 12, 2025.

Indian telecom operators urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to keep current tariff rules unchanged while the regulator considers requiring affordable standalone voice and SMS plans without data and with short validity periods. The Economic Times reported the operators' position on June 12, 2025.

The operators argued that a mandated standalone voice and SMS offering would be anti-consumer, technically unsound, and inconsistent with Trai's long-standing policy of tariff forbearance. The report did not identify individual operators or specify proposed price points or validity durations.

The issue concerns retail mobile tariff regulation in India rather than eSIM-specific technology. The report states that Trai proposed mandating lower-cost voice and SMS-only plans, and that operators asked the regulator to maintain the status quo on tariff plans.

Related questions

• What did Indian telecom operators ask Trai to do on standalone voice and SMS plans?
• Why did telcos say Trai's proposed standalone voice-SMS mandate is technically unsound?
• Does the reported Trai proposal include data, or only voice and SMS?
• Which country does this tariff dispute involve?