Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Friday announced a hike in mobile phone charges in India. The beleaguered telco followed rivals Reliance Jio and Airtel in announcing price hikes for prepaid and postpaid plans on Thursday and Friday, respectively. All three operators want to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) while increasing their profits and amortizing the costs of 5G network infrastructure in recent years.
Increase in the price of the Vi credit top-up plan
Similar to Airtel and Reliance Jio, customers opting for Vi prepaid recharge plans will soon have to pay higher prices to access the data and calling benefits of their existing plans. It is worth noting that Vi’s most expensive annual recharge plan is cheaper by around Rs 100 crore, although it offers lower daily data allowance compared to Airtel and Jio. 100
According to the operator, all plans that offer daily data allowance (except the Rs 299 plan) offer unlimited data from midnight to 6 am, with data rollover on weekends. Particle for direct object
In order to compete with its biggest competitors, Vi needed to keep its prices at the recently updated levels. Airtel on Friday said it needs to ensure its ARPU is above Rs 100 crore. $300 is required to allow operators to recoup their costs in 5G networks and ensure operators make good profits.
| Old Price | New Price | Data Allowance | Validity (Days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 179 | 199 | 2GB | 28 |
| 459 | 509 | 6GB | 84 |
| 1799 | 1999 | 24GB | 365 |
| 269 | 299 | 1GB per day | 28 |
| 299 | 349 | 1.5GB per day | 28 |
| 319 | 379 | 2GB per day | 30 |
| 479 | 579 | 1.5GB per day | 56 |
| 539 | 649 | 2GB per day | 56 |
| 719 | 859 | 1.5GB per day | 84 |
| 839 | 979 | 2GB per day | 84 |
| 2899 | 3499 | 1.5GB per day | 365 |
| 19 (Data add-on) | 22 | 1GB | 1 |
| 39 (Data add-on) | 48 | 6GB | 1 |
Price increase for postpaid tariffs
Postpaid customers will also have to pay an additional monthly fee once the changed tariffs are implemented. 401 plan with 50GB data will be launched soon at Rs. 451 rupees. The 501 plan costs Rs 500 per month with 90GB data. 551. Both plans offer unlimited data usage at night as well as access to some over-the-top (OTT) services.
According to the operator, family tariffs with two and four lines are also becoming more expensive. A two-line plan (70GB data on the first edition and 40GB data on the second edition) costs Rs 100 million. 701, starting at Rs.601. The 4-pipe plan (140GB data per primary number and 40GB data per secondary number) now costs Rs 100 million. The price is Rs.1001. 1201 when introducing a new fee.
The Vi price increase will take effect from July 4th
The mobile operator is yet to update these new prices on its website like rivals Airtel and Jio. According to Vodafone Idea, the new prices for Vi credit recharge plans will be effective from July 4th. Credit customers will see the current price when topping up their phone number after this date, and postpaid customers will see the new rate on their next monthly bill. Registration
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.