Jio vs BSNL vs Airtel vs Vi: Which Is The Cheapest Plan To Keep Your SIM Active In 2026

A SIM you barely use shouldn't cost you Rs 2,500 a year. We compared every operator's cheapest plan so you don't have to.

One operator still offers 35-day validity at nearly half the price of its private rivals.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Telco minimum recharge plans increased significantly since 2015.
• Airtel and Vi offer 28-day plans starting at Rs 199.
• BSNL provides a cheaper Rs 107 plan with longer validity.

Recharge Plan Comparison: Back in 2015, a Rs 10 recharge was all it took to keep a number alive, with full talktime and no expiry pressure. A decade later, that same basic need costs anywhere between Rs 189 and Rs 199, and that too for just 28 days. For anyone holding a secondary SIM that only wakes up for a bank OTP or an Aadhaar verification, this price jump is hard to ignore. 

If you want to know which operator gives you the most affordable way to stay on the network without paying more than necessary, here is everything you need to know.

Airtel: Falls On The ‘Costlier’ Side

Airtel no longer offers anything below Rs 199 for smartphone users. Every available plan is a bundled pack; there is no standalone talktime option left.

• Minimum Plan: Rs 199
• Benefits: Unlimited Voice Calls + 2GB Data + 300 SMS
• Validity: 28 Days

Missing a recharge cycle means incoming calls are typically blocked within 7 to 15 days of the plan expiring.

Vi: Nothing Goes Below Rs 199

Vodafone Idea follows the same pricing floor as Airtel, with no entry-level plan available under Rs 199 for regular users.

• Minimum Plan: Rs 199
• Benefits: Unlimited Voice Calls + 2GB Data + 300 SMS
• Validity: 28 Days

The same expiry rule applies here. Delay a recharge, and incoming services can get suspended fairly quickly.

BSNL: Cheap But Slow

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is the only operator that still offers a noticeably cheaper plan for users who just want to keep a number active. Its 4G expansion has been slow, but its pricing is hard to beat.

• Minimum Plan: Rs 107 (may vary slightly by circle, around Rs 108 in some regions)
• Benefits: 200 Minutes Local/STD Calls + 3GB Data
• Validity: 35 Days

At almost half the price of private operators, and with a 35-day validity instead of 28, BSNL brings the annual cost of keeping a SIM active down to roughly Rs 1,115. Compare that to approximately Rs 2,593 on Airtel or Vi, and around Rs 2,463 on Jio. That is a difference of nearly Rs 1,400 every year for a SIM that barely gets used.

Jio: Wins The ‘Affordable’ Battle

Among private operators, Jio is the most affordable, though the gap with Airtel and Vi is not very wide.

• Minimum Plan: Rs 189
• Benefits: Unlimited Voice Calls + 2GB Data + 300 SMS
• Validity: 28 Days

It remains the cheapest entry point on a private 4G or 5G network in 2026, but it still costs significantly more than BSNL over the course of a year.

For daily use, Jio and Airtel deliver better network speeds and coverage. But for a secondary SIM that only needs to receive the occasional OTP, BSNL remains the most wallet-friendly option in 2026.

Airtel vs Jio vs Vi: Which Recharge Plan Gives You The Best OTT Deal