Jio Secretly Removes the ₹209 Budget Plan Following TRAI App Crackdown

Reliance Jio quietly removed its ₹209 prepaid plan from the MyJio app in early May 2026, eliminating the telecom operator’s most affordable 1GB-per-day data tier without any formal announcement. This sudden removal leaves budget-conscious Indian consumers without a cheap daily data option and forces them onto significantly more expensive tiers.

The unannounced discontinuation perfectly demonstrates how corporate revenue pressures and regulatory crackdowns ultimately combine to increase the financial burden on the end user.

What the ₹209 Plan Offered

The now-discontinued ₹209 Jio prepaid plan offered 1GB of daily high-speed data alongside unlimited voice calling for a 22-day validity period. It was heavily favored by light internet users because it delivered a complete smartphone communication package at an effective cost of just ₹9.50 per day.

TRAI 13th Amendment Connection

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently enacted its 13th Amendment, explicitly prohibiting telecom operators from offering app-exclusive tariffs that discriminate against non-app users. Jio strictly locked the ₹209 plan behind the MyJio application, making it inaccessible via third-party platforms like PhonePe or basic retail stores. This prevented users without smartphones from accessing the tariff. Instead of opening this highly affordable tier to the broader market to comply with TRAI’s transparency mandates, Jio simply deleted the plan entirely to protect its profit margins.

Useless 5GB Data Replacements

Jio recently introduced a series of heavy data plans priced at ₹699, ₹2099, and ₹4199, but these tiers completely lack voice calling and SMS benefits. These new 5GB-per-day data-only packs provide absolutely zero utility to the budget consumer who relied on the ₹209 plan for basic daily communication. Jio effectively widened the gap between its entry-level calling packs and its high-speed data tiers to aggressively push its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) upward.

What This Means for Indian Consumers

Indian prepaid users looking for a 1GB-per-day Jio plan must now upgrade to significantly more expensive recharge tiers, as the ₹209 option no longer exists. For a student or a gig worker operating on a strict monthly budget, losing access to an effective ₹9.50-per-day telecom package forces a painful recalculation of household expenses. When a regulatory body tries to enforce market fairness, telecom operators often respond by killing their lowest-margin products entirely rather than offering cheap data to everyone.

The quiet execution of the ₹209 plan confirms that the era of ultra-cheap, highly flexible Indian mobile data is rapidly closing. Check your MyJio app immediately; if your current ₹209 recharge is about to expire, prepare to pay a much higher premium for your next cycle of internet access.

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