Bharti Airtel has brought back its popular Rs 299 prepaid plan — but the restored pack gives you less than before. For the same Rs 299, you now get 1GB of data per day instead of 1.5GB, and the unlimited 5G benefit is gone. Here is what the relaunched plan offers, how it compares with the old one, and who should recharge it.
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Airtel Rs 299 Plan: Quick Facts
- Price: Rs 299 (prepaid)
- Validity: 28 days
- Daily data: 1GB per day (28GB total)
- Calls: unlimited local, STD and roaming calls
- SMS: 100 per day
- 5G: unlimited 5G NOT included
- Restored: 6 November 2026 (Dhanteras), after being withdrawn in August 2026
Old vs New: What Changed
The price and the validity are exactly the same as before — Rs 299 for 28 days. What changed is the data:
- Daily data: 1.5GB per day before, 1GB per day now — a cut of 500MB every day, or 14GB less over the full validity (42GB down to 28GB).
- Unlimited 5G: included in the old plan, removed in the restored plan. The 1GB daily allowance is now the only high-speed data you get.
- Calls and SMS: unchanged — unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day, same as before.
So this is not a price cut. You pay the same Rs 299 and get one-third less data. Airtel’s next option up, the Rs 349 plan, still offers 1.5GB per day for the same 28 days.
Why Airtel Brought the Rs 299 Plan Back
Airtel withdrew the Rs 299 plan in August 2026 as part of a wider prepaid tariff rationalisation, along with the Rs 319, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 plans. The Rs 299 plan was understood to be the most popular entry-level data top-up, and its removal left subscribers with pricier options. In the September quarter, Airtel’s mobile churn rose from 2.6% to 2.9% and net additions slowed sharply — and the company has now restored the Rs 299 price point to win back users. Airtel did not respond to queries on the restoration, so the company has not publicly confirmed that churn was the reason.
How to Recharge the Airtel Rs 299 Plan
The restored Rs 299 plan is listed on Airtel’s website and app, according to the Financial Express. One report says the plan is available only through the Airtel Thanks app and not through third-party recharge channels — that claim is unconfirmed, so check the Airtel Thanks app first if you cannot find the plan elsewhere. The recharge gives 28 days of service validity with 1GB of data per day, unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day.
Who Should Buy It — and Who Should Not
This plan makes sense if you use under 1GB of data a day and want the cheapest Airtel daily-data recharge — at Rs 299 it costs Rs 50 less than the Rs 349 plan for the same 28 days. It does not make sense if you regularly use more than 1GB a day or you relied on unlimited 5G: the old 1.5GB plus unlimited 5G is gone, and the Rs 349 plan is the closer match to the old benefits. Airtel also has voice-only plans under TRAI’s mandate for users who mainly call — see our TRAI Mandated Packs guide and the Jio Voice Only Plans price list for comparison.
Our take: the Rs 299 price point is back, which is good news for light users — but do not mistake it for the old plan. Same price, one-third less data, no unlimited 5G.
Did the Rs 299 plan’s return bring you back to Airtel — or is 1GB a day too little for you? Tell us in the comments.