By News Desk 
If you’re a customer of Jio, Airtel, or Vi, this latest development is worth your attention. All three leading private telecom operators in India have simultaneously made a significant policy change—one that could lead to increased inconvenience and cost for users. The change affects the validity of data vouchers, a feature millions of users rely on for extra data when needed.
What’s striking is that this isn’t a coincidence. The synchronized move by all three companies suggests a strategically coordinated decision, rather than individual business policy changes.
🔄 What Has Changed?
Previously, when a user purchased a data voucher in addition to their base plan, the validity of the voucher matched the base plan’s duration. For example, if your base plan was valid for 28 days and you bought a 2GB data add-on, that extra data could be used anytime during those 28 days.
This system was known as the “Existing Validity Benefit.” It allowed users flexibility to use top-up data at their convenience throughout their ongoing plan cycle.
However, that benefit has now been discontinued.
❌ The End of “Existing Validity Benefit”
Now, Jio, Airtel, and Vi have revised the terms for their data vouchers, assigning them very short validity periods—typically 1 day or just a few hours. This means that:
- If you buy a data voucher and don’t use the data within the very limited time frame, the remaining data will expire and be lost.
- The top-up data is no longer tied to your base plan’s validity.
- Users are now forced to use all the added data on the same day, or risk losing it.
- If more data is needed the next day, another recharge will be necessary—even if unused data from the previous day remains.
📉 Why Is This Problematic for Users?
This shift imposes several burdens on users:
- Increased frequency of recharges, especially for those who consume data irregularly.
- Wasted data if the voucher isn’t fully utilized within its short validity period.
- Higher overall costs for users who need data across several days but are now forced to buy multiple vouchers.
Until now, consumers had the freedom and flexibility to manage their data usage based on their needs. With the new policy, that convenience is significantly reduced.
🏛️ Will the Government Step In?
As of now, there has been no official response from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding these changes. However, the move could potentially attract regulatory scrutiny, especially if customer dissatisfaction continues to grow.
Telecom users across the country are watching closely to see whether authorities will intervene to protect consumer rights, or whether this change will become the new norm in India’s mobile data landscape.