The local mobile rates will now be free, with Tata Indicom introducing from Thursday a direct plan under which there will be no charges on calls within the company's network, while 49 paise will be charged for calls to other mobile operators.

Launching a pre-paid mobile card worth Rs 325, in which the talk time is worth Rs 150, Tata Teleservices' president (consumer business) Naresh Malhan said: "Consumers will get the local mobile call free of cost to other Tata Indicom phones. These free calls are not limited to any number; they are unlimited."

While local calls from Tata Indicom mobiles to other fixed lines would cost 99 paise, STDs would cost around Rs 2.4.