From 28-Day Recharge to 30-Day Options: Major Change for Telecom Consumers After Raghav Chadha’s Question
New Delhi | September 27, 2026 | Shabu Zaidi
A significant change has emerged for telecom consumers regarding mobile recharges. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the Telecom Consumers Protection (13th Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on September 22, 2026. Under the new regulations, telecom companies will have to offer recharge options that provide only voice calling and SMS services. This means consumers who do not need internet data will not be required to purchase a data-inclusive plan.
The development comes amid a debate in which then-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha raised the issue of the 28-day validity of mobile recharge plans in Parliament in March 2026. Chadha pointed out that while a year has 12 months, consumers using 28-day recharge plans effectively have to recharge 13 times a year. His argument was that 13 recharges of 28 days each amount to 364 days, requiring an additional recharge during the year.
Chadha also raised the issue of incoming calls and essential SMS/OTP services being discontinued after a recharge expires. He argued that while stopping outgoing calls after the validity period may be understandable, consumers should have access to affordable options that allow essential incoming calls and services to continue.
The latest TRAI amendment expands the availability of Voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs). These plans will not include internet data. According to TRAI, the objective is to provide more choices to consumers who primarily require mobile services for calls and SMS.
Under the new regulations, telecom companies will have to provide Voice-SMS-only options with a validity of 30 days or less, as well as options that renew on the same date every month. Companies will also be required to offer at least one longer-validity Voice-SMS-only plan.
However, it would not be accurate to say that TRAI has made all mobile recharge plans mandatory for 30 days. The new regulations primarily concern expanding Voice and SMS-only STV options. Telecom companies can continue offering other recharge plans that include data.
Raghav Chadha left the Aam Aadmi Party in April 2026 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His decision to change political parties and the issue he raised in Parliament concerning telecom consumers are separate developments. Therefore, rather than describing the new TRAI regulations as a direct result of his party switch or any action by a political party, it is more accurate to state that Chadha had raised the issue of consumer concerns in Parliament, and TRAI subsequently introduced regulatory changes concerning Voice-SMS-only and 30-day/monthly validity options in telecom tariffs.
The overall sequence can therefore be described as: Raghav Chadha raised the issue of telecom consumers in Parliament, followed later by regulatory changes by TRAI aimed at providing additional recharge options to consumers.अगर आप इसे English news portal style में थोड़ा ज्यादा दमदार headline और shorter copy में चाहते हैं, तो मैं उसी हिसाब से भी तैयार कर सकता हूं।