VI Recharge Prices to Increase by 20%: ₹179 Plan Now ₹199 from July 4
Vodafone-Idea Increases Mobile Tariffs by Nearly 20%
Following India’s two largest telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Idea (VI) announced on Friday, June 28, that it will also increase mobile tariffs by nearly 20%. The company provided this information in its exchange filing.
Now, VI’s cheapest plan of ₹179 will be available for ₹199. This plan offers 28 days of validity, unlimited calling, and 2GB of data. Meanwhile, the ₹269 plan will now be available for ₹299, offering 28 days of validity with unlimited calling and 2GB of data. The new rates will be effective from July 4.
At the same time, Jio announced its new tariff plans on June 27, and Airtel announced its new plans with updated rates on the morning of June 28. The updated plans for both companies will be effective from July 3.
ARPU Above ₹300 Essential for a Strong Business Model
Airtel stated that it believes an Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) above ₹300 is necessary to enable a financially strong business model for telecom companies in India. To achieve this, they are increasing the entry-level plan by ₹70 per day.
Airtel Shares Reach Record High
Due to the increase in Airtel’s recharge plans, the company’s shares reached a record high today. During trading, the share price hit ₹1,536. However, it is currently trading at ₹1,467, down by 0.46%. This year, the stock has increased by 44%.
Reliance Jio Announced Price Hike a Day Earlier
Just a day earlier, Reliance Jio announced a price hike of 15% to 25% for their prepaid and postpaid plans. The new tariff plans will be effective from July 3. Now, the ₹239 plan will be available for ₹299, and the cheapest plan, which was ₹155, will now be available for ₹189.
Cost of ₹15 Data Add-On Now ₹19
Along with increasing the tariffs for monthly and long-term recharge plans, the company has also raised the prices of data add-on plans. This means that plans which provide additional data once the data limit is exhausted will now be more expensive. The cost for the 1GB data add-on, which was ₹15, will now be ₹19.
20% Increase in December 2021
Previously, all telecom companies had increased their tariffs by more than 20% in December 2021. Reliance Jio had raised its tariffs for the first time in 2019 since its launch in 2016. Jio had increased its tariffs by 20-40% in 2019.
