What is the cheapest plan to just keep my number active?

The most affordable way to keep your mobile number active without breaking the bank is to utilise the minimum denomination recharge/prepaid plan, offered by your operator. These prepaid recharge plans are perfect for anyone who doesn't need a lot of talktime or data; they just want to make sure that their number remains active.

In 2025 all major telecom operators in India offer these minimum recharge / validity extension options.

You can search for these plans on your operator's official website or mobile app, and you will usually find them under the "Minimum Recharge", "Validity Extension", or "Keep Alive" packs. These packs will usually offer you a tiny amount of talktime or SMS, maybe a few rupees for the SMS; the sole purpose is to extend your number for another cycle, usually 28 or 30 days depending on the pack. Some plans purely offer service validity without any bundled data or any calls.

These recharge options are ideal for people who only want and use the number for incoming calls or if you use it as a backup SIM, if you are travelling outside of India and want to keep the Indian number working for OTPs or important messages.

To prevent losing your number, just make sure you recharge with the minimum plan before your valid period ends. If you let it expire, your outgoing and incoming may be suspended for a short period, but extended time might mean you lose the number altogether.

A recent cheap recharge keeps your number safe, active, and ready whenever you want it.