The regulator has given operators 30 days to add a dedicated first-position tab for mandated recharge vouchers, after complaints and its own review found the low-cost plans buried deep inside app menus and unrelated categories.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked mobile operators to make it far easier for subscribers to find the recharge plans they are legally required to offer. In an order issued on Thursday, as reported by PTI, the regulator directed companies to give these products a prominent place on their websites, mobile apps and exclusive retail outlets. The move is aimed at a long-running irritation for prepaid users: plans that exist on paper but are hard to find on screen.
Every telecom service provider must now create a separate, clearly visible section labelled "TRAI-Mandated Packs" within the prepaid recharge area of its website and app. The section is to be the first option users see there, rather than sitting under other categories. A similarly prominent display is also required at operators' exclusive points of sale, and companies have been given 30 days to put the changes in place.
Complaints and regulator's own review prompted the order
The directive follows a rise in consumer complaints about poor transparency and the difficulty of finding these plans on operator platforms. TRAI said its own review of telecom websites and apps supported those complaints. It found the vouchers were often filed under unrelated headings, or could be reached only after clicking through several pages and screens.
According to the regulator, better visibility and easier access would help budget-conscious users the most. These include people with limited data needs, residents of rural areas and feature-phone owners, who are the most likely to look for simple, low-cost standalone plans rather than large bundled packs.
In practical terms, a subscriber who wants only a basic monthly voucher or a calling-and-texting plan should be able to reach it quickly from the recharge screen, instead of hunting through menus built around larger, data-heavy offers. The report did not mention any penalty for operators that miss the 30-day deadline.
What the mandated plans cover
Existing TRAI rules already oblige every operator to offer at least one Plan Voucher, one Special Tariff Voucher and one Combo Voucher. Each must be valid for 30 days and renewable on the same date every month. Operators must also provide Special Tariff Vouchers limited to voice and SMS, so that subscribers who do not need mobile data are not forced to pay for it.
TRAI has pushed telecom companies in recent regulatory updates to widen the voice-and-SMS category across a greater range of validity periods. The latest order, however, does not add any new voucher type or change any tariffs. Its purpose is narrower: making sure consumers can actually locate plans that operators are already bound to sell, without wading through confusing app menus.
