Free run ends for Jio users on 31 March but Reliance keeps goodies rolling

Attractive offering from April 1 will cause more stress for Airtel, Vodafone, Idea

The paid offering from Reliance Jio, announced by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday, will exert more pressure on rivals Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular.

The new offerings will no longer be free but Jio has priced its services attractively to retain its 100 million customers, who have signed up since September 5, when the services were first offered. Jio is seeking to retain them through special prime memberships at a one-time fee of Rs 99 and Rs 303 a month for unlimited voice, data and content. 

“Customers who sign up by March 31 (2017) will be able