Reliance Jio, one of India’s leading telecommunications providers, has decided to discontinue its Rs 119 plan from its offerings. This plan, introduced after tariff hikes in late 2021, offered customers 1.5GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling, and 100 SMS/day with a validity of 14 days. However, this plan is no longer available for customers across the country. Jio’s strategic move to remove the Rs 119 plan reflects a shift in its pricing strategy and aims to enhance its average revenue per user (ARPU) figures, following a similar approach taken by its competitor Airtel.
The newly introduced most affordable plan from Jio is the Rs 149 plan.
Reliance Jio Rs 149 Plan Overview The Rs 149 plan offers users a validity of 20 days. Subscribers are entitled to 1GB of daily data along with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. Additionally, the plan provides access to JioCinema, JioCloud, and JioTV. It’s important to note that this plan does not qualify for Jio’s 5G Welcome Offer, which provides users with unlimited 5G data.
Airtel and Jio’s Competitive Prepaid Plans Jio’s new cheapest plan is priced quite closely to Airtel’s Rs 155 plan. For users seeking validity and voice calling benefits, Airtel’s offering might be more appealing as it comes with a 24-day validity period and unlimited voice calling. However, Airtel’s plan offers a total data benefit of just 1GB. On the other hand, Jio’s plan offers 1GB of daily data, albeit with a validity of 20 days, slightly shorter than Airtel’s 24-day period.
Boosting Average Revenue per User (ARPU) By discontinuing the Rs 119 plan and introducing a new pricing structure, Jio is likely aiming to elevate its ARPU, which was reported at Rs 180.5 during Q1 FY24. In comparison, Airtel’s ARPU reached Rs 200 during the same period. Airtel’s ARPU currently surpasses that of both Jio and Vodafone Idea. To bridge this gap, Jio may explore implementing steeper tariff hikes and attracting higher-paying customers, ultimately striving to achieve a competitive ARPU similar to Airtel’s.
