The tariff hike is effective today itself. Postpaid accounts for nearly 8% to 12% of Bharti Airtel’s overall topline, according to industry estimates. The telecom service provider does not disclose postpaid revenue separately.
Subscribers will be automatically upgraded within a month to the new postpaid plan. With this, the entry level postpaid plans for Bharti Airtel start at ₹499. The company is also offering five days of free international roaming with every postpaid plan.
The question now being asked is whether this is a pre-cursor to a broader pre-paid tariff hike as well, as the last broad-based tariff hike had taken place back in July 2024.
Bharti Airtel’s New Postpaid Plan
The company said that its customers would be able to avail one international trip with free roaming every year with the new plans, along with the existing benefits from Thursday October 8 onwards, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
The complimentary international roaming pack offers 5GB of data, 60 minutes of calls, 25 outgoing SMS, and free incoming SMS, which would be valid for a period of 5 days.
The plan offers customers the flexibility to active the 5-day package according to their requirement. Customers availing the Airtel Postpaid family plans, will be able to avail the option for all listed members, the company said.
The telecom providers announcement builds on the other benefits offered on the postpaid plan which include fast lane technology, unlimited data, and network level buffer against spam and fraudulent links according to Amit Tripathi, Director-Market Operations of the company.Customers also have access to a range of entertainment subscriptions via The Airtel Postpaid Advantage Club, the company said.
| Plan Rental | # of SIMs | Telco Benefits | Safety Features | Subscriptions | |
| ₹499 | Individual | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
| ₹749 | Family of 2 | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
| ₹1049 | Family of 3 | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Apple iCloud+, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
| ₹1249 | Family of 4 | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Apple iCloud+, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
| ₹1449 | Family of 4 | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Netflix Basic, Apple iCloud+, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
| ₹1799 | Family of 5 | Unlimited Data and Calling | Spam and Fraud Prevention | Netflix Standard, 1 Free Trip per SIM per year Apple iCloud+, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Xstream Play Premium, Google One |
1 Free Trip per SIM per year |
How can customers avail the new plan
The new postpaid plans will be available to all Airtel Postpaid customers from the mentioned date.
Existing Airtel customers would be able to upgrade through the Airtel App or at an Airtel store, while non-Airtel users can switch to postpaid by submitting a request through the app or visiting a store, the company said.
Shares of Bharti Airtel are now trading 1.8% higher on Wednesday after the news at ₹1,843.5. The stock has trimmed its year-to-date losses down to 12.6% but is still down significantly from its record high of ₹2,174.5.
(With Inputs From Ashmit Kumar)