Airtel beats rivals on premium price plans, expands broadband base

The minimum recharge plans introduced by incumbent telcos like Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel has already reached its target base, according to analysts, with Airtel managing to maintain a price premium, compared to rivals.

On the other hand, Reliance Jio’s consistently growing subscriber base has not been supported by any tariff increase even in postpaid, an area where incumbent telcos are rapidly improving.

An analysis of more than 100 mobile tariff plans across Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea reveals incumbents command 1.5-2x premium pricing in postpaid and 15-30 per cent premium in prepaid offers, compared to Jio, according to a CLSA research. Essentially, Airtel has managed to retain high-paying users at the cost of losing subscribers, at present.