Bharti Airtel has silently removed its ₹189 prepaid voice-only plan from its recharge portfolio across India. The plan, widely used for keeping SIMs active without requiring data benefits, is no longer visible on the Airtel app, website, or major third-party recharge platforms.

🔹 What the ₹189 Plan Offered

Before being discontinued, the ₹189 plan provided:

• 28 days validity

• Unlimited voice calling

• No data benefits

• 100 SMS per day

It was one of Airtel’s most affordable options for users who mainly needed voice services or wished to maintain SIM validity at minimal cost.

🔹 ₹199 Plan Becomes the New Entry Point

With the ₹189 pack removed, the ₹199 plan now becomes Airtel’s new minimum recharge option. The ₹199 pack includes:

• Unlimited calling

• 3GB lump-sum data

• 100 SMS per day

• 30 days validity

This means subscribers must now spend at least ₹199 to keep their Airtel number active.

🔹 Impact on Low-Usage and Rural Customers

The shift is expected to affect light-usage customers, senior citizens, and users in rural areas who depended on the ₹189 plan for economical access. Such users will now see an effective price increase of around ₹10 per recharge cycle, or more if they were strictly using voice-only plans.

Telecom analysts believe Airtel’s move is aligned with broader industry trends where operators are gradually phasing out low-revenue plans.

🔹 Part of Airtel’s Revenue Optimization Strategy

Airtel has been focused on boosting its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), already among the highest in the industry. Removing ultra-low-cost prepaid offerings is a common tactic to push customers toward slightly higher-priced plans.