Jio launches voice-only prepaid plans starting at Rs 147, undercuts Airtel and Vi in pricing

Highlights
  • Jio’s base voice-only plan comes with 22 days of validity, unlimited calling, and 300 SMSes.
  • Recently, TRAI mandated telecom operators to introduce voice-only plans.
  • Voice-only plans make sense for those who rarely need internet outside of WiFi.

After Airtel and Vi released voice-only plans, Jio introduced its own, offering affordable alternatives to prepaid recharge plans that include mobile data. This follows the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandate requiring telecom operators to offer plans with only calling and messaging benefits, without forcing customers to pay for internet services they don’t need. Jio’s voice-only prepaid plans start at Rs 147, offering validity of 22 days, while the highest-end plan costs Rs 1,748 and offers 336 days of validity.

Jio voice-only plan prices, validity

Plan priceValiditySMS benefit
Rs 14722 days300
Rs 17728 days300
Rs 19630 days300
Rs 1971 month300 
Rs 44884 days1,000
Rs 1,748336 days3,600


As the name suggests, these plans offer unlimited calling only and don’t include any data. While most users still prefer traditional prepaid recharge plans that include mobile data and 5G services, voice-only plans make sense for budget-conscious users, senior citizens, feature-phone users, and secondary SIM card holders who only need basic calling and messaging.

How to recharge voice-only plans?

If you wish to purchase Jio’s voice-only prepaid plans, head over to the “TRAI Mandated Packs” banner under the recharge section, and there you’ll find all these plans with the ‘voice only plan’ tag.

Jio voice only plans list
If anyone needs data benefits, they can recharge their mobile number with the available data packs, such as 3GB data for Rs 55, 6GB data for Rs 100, 15GB data for Rs 195, etc. These packs can be bundled with voice-only plans, giving users internet services.

In comparison to Airtel and Vi, Jio has priced its voice-only plans more affordably. The difference is more noticeable in lower-priced plans, such as those with 28 or 30 days of validity.

Jio airtel vi voice only plans comparison
AI-generated image

Are Jio’s voice-only plans truly worth it?

Jio’s voice-only plans Jio’s voice-only plans are only truly worth it in specific situations. Such instances include using a feature phone or rarely needing internet; wishing to keep the SIM active mainly for calls, OTPs, banking, or as a secondary number; being almost always on Wi-Fi; or buying the plans for elderly parents who only make/receive calls.

On the other hand, if you’re wondering whether Jio’s voice-only plans are actually more affordable than Jio’s traditional recharge plans with data benefits, then yes. Jio’s cheapest data recharge plan, offering 1.5GB data per day, unlimited calling, and 100 SMS per day, starts at Rs 239, significantly higher than the Rs 147 voice-only base plan. Plans bundling 2GB data per day start at Rs 349, with validities of 28 days and above.