New Roaming Benefit for Postpaid Subscribers
Bharti Airtel is expanding the value proposition of its postpaid services by introducing a complimentary international roaming pack for all new subscribers. Effective from October 8, the telecom major will offer one free international trip benefit annually across its updated individual and family postpaid portfolios.
According to a stock exchange filing dated October 7, the roaming pack is valid for five days and includes 5GB of data, 60 minutes of outgoing calls, and 25 outgoing SMS. Incoming SMS are also free. A key feature of this offer is flexibility; customers can choose the specific dates to activate the five-day pack during their overseas travel, rather than having it auto-activated.
Pricing and Plan Structure
The new postpaid portfolio is structured to cater to both individual users and families. The entry-level individual plan is priced at Rs 499 per month. Family plans are tiered based on the number of SIMs:
* **2 SIMs:** Rs 749 * **3 SIMs:** Rs 1,049 * **4 SIMs:** Rs 1,249 or Rs 1,449 * **5 SIMs:** Rs 1,799
All plans in this new portfolio include unlimited data and calling. A significant differentiator for family subscribers is that the annual international roaming benefit applies to each SIM individually. This means a family plan with five SIMs will receive five separate free international roaming packs per year.
Enhanced Features and Subscriptions
Beyond the roaming benefit, Airtel has bundled various entertainment and utility subscriptions into the higher-tier plans. Depending on the monthly rental, subscribers may receive access to services such as Xstream Play Premium, Google One, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Apple Music, Apple iCloud+, or Netflix.
The plans also retain critical network and security features introduced earlier this year. These include:
* **Fast Lane Technology:** Utilizing 5G network slicing to provide a more consistent network experience on compatible 5G standalone smartphones. * **Fraud Protection:** AI-based systems that alert customers to potential fraud, such as receiving bank OTPs during risky incoming calls. * **Spam Prevention:** Network-level protection against spam calls and fraudulent links.
Strategic Context
Amit Tripathi, Director for Market Operations at Bharti Airtel, stated that the company is layering international roaming onto a postpaid proposition that already emphasizes network quality, safety, and entertainment. This move follows Airtel’s launch of Priority Postpaid in May, which focused on 5G slicing, and its February announcement of AI-based fraud alerts.
The introduction of free international roaming is part of a broader industry trend where telecom operators are competing not just on price and data volume, but on lifestyle and travel-related benefits. By bundling a high-value travel perk, Airtel aims to attract new subscribers and encourage existing prepaid or postpaid users to migrate to the new plans.
Customers can switch to these new plans via the Airtel app or at Airtel stores. The offer is open to new postpaid subscribers, existing Airtel customers, and users from other operators looking to port their numbers.