Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s state-owned telecom service provider, has made significant changes to its popular ₹197 prepaid plan. The revision includes a steep reduction in plan validity and a complete overhaul of core benefits like data and voice calling. These modifications are now live on BSNL’s official website and are likely to impact customers who relied on the plan for maintaining basic mobile connectivity.

Key Highlights

Validity reduced from 70 days to 54 days

Removal of unlimited voice calling and daily SMS quota

New plan offers 300 minutes of voice calls, 4GB total data, and 100 SMS

Unlimited 40Kbps speed post data exhaustion

Part of BSNL’s strategy to optimize prepaid offerings amidst 4G rollout

What’s Changed in the ₹197 Plan?

Previously, the ₹197 prepaid recharge from BSNL was known for its well-balanced benefits. It provided:

Plan Validity: 70 days

Core Benefits Validity: 15 days

Daily Data Quota: 2GB per day for 15 days

Voice Calls: Unlimited local & STD voice calling (for 15 days)

SMS: 100 SMS/day for 15 days

Zing Music Access: 15 days

However, BSNL has now cut the overall validity by 16 days, bringing it down to just 54 days. More importantly, the core benefits have been trimmed dramatically. The updated plan now includes:

Voice Calling: 300 minutes total

Data: 4GB total (then unlimited at 40Kbps)

SMS: 100 total messages for the entire validity period

The removal of unlimited voice calls and the daily 2GB data quota marks a clear shift from the earlier value-focused proposition.

Why the Change?

BSNL appears to be consolidating its prepaid offerings to better align with user demand and operational efficiency. The earlier version of the ₹197 plan was largely used by customers who needed minimal connectivity or wished to keep their number active at a low cost. However, with the reduced benefits and shorter validity, this plan may no longer be viable for many of those users.

Strategic Context: BSNL’s Recent Growth

Despite the revised plan changes, BSNL has shown notable financial improvement. In Q4 of the financial year 2024–25, the telecom operator reported a profit after tax of ₹280 crore, a significant recovery from the ₹849 crore loss in the same quarter the previous year.

Additionally, BSNL has heavily invested in expanding its infrastructure. In Q4 FY25 alone:

₹15,324 crore was spent on network towers and equipment

₹10,698 crore went into acquiring spectrum for upcoming services

These investments are aimed at strengthening BSNL’s 4G rollout and fibre connectivity nationwide.

Conclusion

BSNL’s revision of its ₹197 prepaid plan may disappoint long-term users who valued the plan for its simplicity and core benefits. However, these changes appear to be part of a broader restructuring of the company’s offerings as it gears up for stronger 4G presence and future 5G capabilities. Users seeking affordable recharge options with long validity may now need to explore alternative BSNL plans or competitor offerings to meet their needs.