30-day recharge plan: Raghav Chadha shares 'good news' for prepaid mobile users in India
The new rules will now have 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year, says Raghav Chadha
- Sep 27, 2026,
- Updated Sep 27, 2026 2:02 PM IST
BJP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday shared what he called "Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India" after new telecom rules introduced 30-day recharge options.
Under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, telecom operators will have to offer Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with validity of 30 days or less for voice, SMS, and data services. The rules were released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on September 22, Moneycontrol reported earlier this week.
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Chadha said the new rules would give consumers more choice, including 30-day recharge plans, voice and SMS-only plans, and options for users on lower budgets.
"(The new rules will have) 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year," Chadha wrote in a post on Sunday. "Voice and SMS-only plans for those who do not need data."
What the new rules say
The new framework requires operators to offer at least one STV that can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, the renewal date will move to the last day of that month.
Operators will also have to offer at least one STV with a validity period longer than the monthly-renewable option. Other STVs will have validity periods of 30 days or less.
The rules also expand options for consumers who want voice and SMS services without paying for bundled data.
Chadha's intervention in March
Chadha said many consumers had raised concerns with him about limited and inflexible recharge options. He said he had raised the issue in Parliament on March 11, when he was an AAP Rajya Sabha MP.
At the time, Chadha had questioned the use of 28-day validity for plans marketed as monthly. He argued that a 28-day cycle effectively required consumers to recharge 13 times a year.
"Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March," Chadha wrote. "I am grateful to the Government of India and TRAI for resolving these concerns in the interest of greater consumer choice and convenience."
BJP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday shared what he called "Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India" after new telecom rules introduced 30-day recharge options.
Under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, telecom operators will have to offer Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with validity of 30 days or less for voice, SMS, and data services. The rules were released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on September 22, Moneycontrol reported earlier this week.
In Case You Missed It: 'No good deed in govt goes unpunished': Ex-Telecom Secretary's memoir makes rare revelations on BSNL, 2G
Chadha said the new rules would give consumers more choice, including 30-day recharge plans, voice and SMS-only plans, and options for users on lower budgets.
"(The new rules will have) 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year," Chadha wrote in a post on Sunday. "Voice and SMS-only plans for those who do not need data."
What the new rules say
The new framework requires operators to offer at least one STV that can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, the renewal date will move to the last day of that month.
Operators will also have to offer at least one STV with a validity period longer than the monthly-renewable option. Other STVs will have validity periods of 30 days or less.
The rules also expand options for consumers who want voice and SMS services without paying for bundled data.
Chadha's intervention in March
Chadha said many consumers had raised concerns with him about limited and inflexible recharge options. He said he had raised the issue in Parliament on March 11, when he was an AAP Rajya Sabha MP.
At the time, Chadha had questioned the use of 28-day validity for plans marketed as monthly. He argued that a 28-day cycle effectively required consumers to recharge 13 times a year.
"Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March," Chadha wrote. "I am grateful to the Government of India and TRAI for resolving these concerns in the interest of greater consumer choice and convenience."