India, April 8 -- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has released the Draft Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, aimed at improving consumer choice and affordability in telecom tariff offerings. The proposal focuses on requiring telecom operators to introduce more affordable mobile plans limited to voice and SMS services, distinct from existing bundled offerings that include data.

The move follows the Telecom Consumer Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, which required service providers to offer at least one Special Tariff Voucher (STV) dedicated to voice and SMS services. However, TRAI noted that such plans remain limited in the market and are typically available only with longer vali...