BREAKING: Vodafone Idea announces hike in mobile recharge plans for prepaid users

Vodafone Idea, better known as Vi, has hiked its mobile tariffs for prepaid connections just a day after Airtel. The telecom operator said the mobile tariff hike will help improve the average revenue per user (ARPU) and "help address financial stress faced by the industry." The new mobile tariffs will come into effect from November 25, which is a day ahead of when Airtel's plans will change for prepaid customers.Vi's new prepaid plans are nominally cheaper than Airtel's new plans, but some plans are valued similarly. For instance, the cheapest Rs 79 plan will now cost Rs 99, offering limited local and STD calls for 28 days alongside 200MB of data. The highest value recharge plan of Rs 2,399 will now cost you Rs 2,899, according to Vi's rejig of prepaid plans. Vodafone Idea is charging only Rs 100 less than Airtel will for the annual plan, which offers unlimited local, STD, and roaming calls alongside 1.5GB per day and 100 SMS per day. So, if you are planning to recharge your Vi number with an annual plan, do it before November 25 to save Rs 500.

Similarly, the data top-up plans have become costlier by up to Rs 67. While the lowest tier of Rs 48 will cost Rs 58 after the hike, the Rs 351 plan will set you back by Rs 418 on November 25.“Vi remains committed to play its role in accelerating the realization of the government’s Digital India vision. In line with its commitment to providing its customers with simple and convenient products, Vi has curated an optimum range of feature rich plans for both voice and data,” said Vodafone Idea in a release. The telco also said that a high ARPU will allow it to focus on making "India's fastest mobile network" better, citing Ookla's report on fixed broadband and mobile network testing in India.

Vi's close rival and India's second-largest telecom operator, Airtel, kicked off what could be termed as an effort to lessen the burden on telecom companies through mobile tariff hikes. While it is not immediately known what impact this move will make on the telecom industry, the hike will definitely overburden customers' pockets. And now that Airtel and Vi have hiked their mobile tariffs, Reliance Jio is expected to follow suit as it is the only one left in the private space.