The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) cannot act on “guesswork” over reports of a possible 10-15 percent telecom tariff hike, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti reportedly said, while reiterating that operators must comply with the regulator’s mandate to offer voice- and SMS-only plans despite industry pushback.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Lahoti said telecom tariffs are currently under a forbearance regime, under which operators are free to determine their prices. He said market forces are driving tariffs in India’s competitive telecom sector, while TRAI continues to monitor developments.

“As far as tariff is concerned, as per the present regulatory provisions, the tariff is under forbearance, which means the tariff is to be decided by operators,” Lahoti reportedly said.

Asked whether TRAI would intervene if operators raised tariffs by 10-15 percent, Lahoti reportedly said, “I don’t think we can act on this based on guesswork. As soon as there is a necessity of intervention, we’ll do that.”

He also pointed to the level of competition in the sector, saying tariffs in India are “probably the lowest in the world”.

On TRAI’s mandate for voice- and SMS-only plans, Lahoti reportedly said the regulator has not received a response from operators but stressed that the requirement is already part of the regulations.

“We haven’t received a response, but this is a regulation which has already been issued, and the operators are required to comply with this,” he was quoted as saying in a report dated October 6, 2026.

Lahoti reportedly said the move is aimed at giving consumers the choice to subscribe only to the services they need.

Source link