Airtel Drops ₹249 Plan: Here Are the Best Alternatives You Can Still Get

Airtel has followed Jio in pulling its ₹249 prepaid plan, which for years sat at the entry point for unlimited calls and daily 1GB data. With both operators raising the floor, prepaid users now have to spend a little more to get similar benefits.

So, what do you do if the ₹249 plan was your go-to? The answer depends on how much data you use.

The Cheapest Options

For those who don’t need daily data and just want internet available throughout the month, the ₹161 plan offers 12GB total for 30 days. The ₹181 plan bumps that to 15GB and adds Airtel Xstream Play Premium with 22+ OTT apps, but like the ₹161 plan, it doesn’t include unlimited calls or SMS. These are better suited as add-ons or secondary SIM packs.

Daily Data Plans With Perks

If you relied on the ₹249 plan’s daily data structure, the next logical step is the ₹299 plan. It includes 1GB per day for 28 days, unlimited calls, 100 SMS per day, and all daily data plans now bundle a Perplexity Pro AI subscription for a year.

From there, you can scale up based on usage:

• ₹349 plan: 1.5GB/day (28 days validity) + unlimited calls, SMS, Perplexity Pro
• ₹379 plan: 2GB/day (1 month validity) + unlimited calls, SMS, Perplexity Pro
• ₹429 plan: 2.5GB/day (1 month validity) + unlimited calls, SMS, Perplexity Pro
• ₹449 plan: 3GB/day (28 days validity) + unlimited calls, SMS, Perplexity Pro

These plans replace the ₹249 pack as the “true” daily driver options. While they cost more, the bundled AI subscription and higher data ceilings do give them added value compared to the older plan.

Light Users Who Want Calls

If your data use is modest but you still want unlimited calling and SMS, the ₹199 plan (2GB total) or the ₹219 plan (3GB total) for 28 days remain the cheapest all-round packs. They don’t offer daily data, but they do cover the basics.