Mumbai: Bharti Airtel has undertaken one of its biggest prepaid portfolio rationalisations in recent years discontinuing several recharge plans including the popular Rs 299 pack. The move effectively raises Airtel’s tariffs by 3%-4% and will support average revenue per user (ARPU) growth in the coming quarters, analysts said.The telecom operator has withdrawn the Rs 299, Rs 319, Rs 649 and Rs 799 prepaid plans nationwide from Tuesday. The Rs 579 and Rs 619 packs have also been discontinued in select circles, including Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the Rs 859 plan has been repriced to Rs 899, according to channel checks done by ET.The biggest impact is expected from the discontinuation of the Rs 299 plan, which served as Airtel's entry-level unlimited 28-day pack offering 1 GB of data per day. Following the revision, the Rs 349 recharge, which offers 1.5 GB of daily data, becomes the operator's cheapest unlimited prepaid plan.The company has also withdrawn certain 56-day and 90-day prepaid plans that saw relatively low customer adoption, indicating a broader effort to simplify its prepaid portfolio.This rationalisation comes weeks after Airtel introduced its high-speed postpaid Fastlane plan with a focus to drive customer premiumisation and ARPU growth.Industry analysts view the exercise as part of Airtel's ongoing tariff rationalisation strategy, aimed at nudging subscribers towards higher-value recharge packs without announcing a headline tariff hike."We understand telecom operators are discontinuing less popular plans. However, we expect a positive impact from the withdrawal of the Rs 299 plan," one brokerage analyst said, estimating that 20-25% of prepaid recharges could be affected, resulting in an effective tariff increase of 3-4% for impacted users.The brokerage has raised its FY27 mobile revenue forecast by 1.5% and mobile EBITDA estimate by 2%. Mobile services account for nearly 60% of Bharti Airtel's consolidated EBITDA.Airtel’s direct rival Reliance Jio also made selective changes to its prepaid portfolio in recent months. The operator quietly withdrew its Rs 209 app-exclusive prepaid plan, its only 22-day recharge offering 1 GB of daily data. Jio also introduced the OTT Pass plans priced at Rs 550 (3 months) and Rs 2,000 (1 year) to encourage longer-tenure recharges.