Airtel hikes postpaid plan prices by up to 11%, but there’s a new international roaming perk

Airtel has introduced a new postpaid plan in India with up to an 11% price hike, but a new benefit if you frequently travel overseas. The new Airtel postpaid plan starts at Rs 499 with unlimited data, calling, and a complimentary international roaming trip every year. Reportedly, it is said to be the largest price hike since 2024.

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What new Airtel postpaid plans offer?

Airtel says that the new plan comes into effect on October 8, 2026, bringing new perks and existing benefits, but with a few extra rupees. The telecom company is giving eligible postpaid users a free five-day international roaming pack once a year, with other inclusions like 5GB mobile data, 60 minutes of calls, 25 outgoing SMS, and unlimited incoming SMS. Users can activate the pack when they actually travel abroad, rather than having it start automatically.

With family plans, the international roaming also applies separately to each member of an Airtel family postpaid plan. So, if a family has multiple members on the same plan, each eligible member gets their own complimentary roaming pack. For instance, if four family members travel abroad, each could get their own 5GB + 60 minutes + 25 SMS pack for five days, without separately purchasing a roaming package.

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New Airtel postpaid plans

Telecom companies are encouraging customers to move from cheaper plans to more expensive plans. They are doing this by adding extra services or benefits to higher-priced plans. They are doing this by removing or discontinuing cheaper, lower-value plans, leaving customers with fewer low-cost options. Earlier this year, Vi increased the prices of some of its postpaid family plans by 7–9%. Centrum Institutional Research expects another telecom tariff hike of around 12–15% within the next four to five months.