Telcos ready to bite the bullet: Airtel, Voda Idea to hike tariffs from Dec

The decision of Vodafone Idea and Airtel to raise tariffs is being seen as a step to encourage the government to offer a relief package to the industry

Incumbent telecom operators Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, bruised by fierce competition to keep prices low, will hike tariffs starting December 1, the companies said in a surprise announcement on Monday. The first telecom tariff hike in several years follows record second-quarter losses reported by the two operators.

The telcos, however, did not provide any guidance on the amount of the hike or the subscriber segments to be impacted by the move. Analysts see the hikes as a positive for the sector, which has only witnessed tariff cuts since the launch of Reliance Jio in September 2016. 

The decision of