Jio tariff hike: How your prepaid, postpaid plans have changed
Reliance Jio, the leading telecom company in India, has announced a significant tariff hike of 12-25% across all mobile plans. This is the first major increase in approximately 30 months and is expected to boost the company's average revenue per user (ARPU), which had been stagnant at ₹181.7 for three quarters until March 2024. The new tariffs will come into effect on July 3.
Details of Jio's tariff hike and industry reactions
In the latest tariff increase, Jio's most affordable ₹155 plan offering 2GB data and unlimited voice calling has seen a rise of 22%, making it ₹189. Other plans ranging from ₹209 to ₹399 have been raised by more than 12%. In the postpaid segment, tariffs for ₹299 and ₹399 plans have increased by 16.7% and 12.5%, respectively. This is Jio's first significant tariff hike since December 1, 2021.
Jio's tariff hike aims to drive sustainable growth
Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Akash Ambani stated that the introduction of new plans is a step toward furthering industry innovation and driving sustainable growth through investments in 5G and AI technology. He added, "Jio will always put our country and customers first and will continue to invest in India." The tariff hike is anticipated to influence the adoption of 5G in India.
Other telecom giants likely to follow Jio's lead
Industry insiders suggest that Jio's tariff hike could trigger a domino effect among other major private-sector telecom companies in India, such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. However, at the time of writing, these companies had not announced any tariff changes. Both Airtel and Vodafone Idea have previously expressed the need for a tariff increase in the Indian market.
Jio's market dominance and impact on 5G adoption
As of April-end, Jio held a 40.48% share of wireless subscribers in India, with 472.42 million out of the total 1.16 billion mobile phone connections running on the Jio network. The tariff hike is expected to influence the adoption of 5G in India, as both Jio and Airtel have offered 5G services at 4G prices. Despite the increase, users of JioBharat and JioPhones will continue to enjoy existing tariffs.
