Elon Musk’s X reduces subscription rates in India, now starting at ₹170

This marks the first major pricing adjustment since the service launched as Twitter Blue in India in February 2023.

In a significant pricing shift, Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has reduced subscription rates for its X Premium service in India by as much as 47 percent. The revision spans all three subscription tiers - Basic, Premium, and Premium+, and appears to be aimed at improving adoption in India, the world’s second-largest internet market.

This illustration photograph shows the logo of social network X (formerly Twitter) displayed on a smartphone. (AFP/File)

By Ayushmann Chawla

Ayushmann Chawla is the Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. A seasoned tech journalist with years of experience working for some of the industry’s leading media organizations, his articles can also be read on Live Mint. His passion extends beyond journalism—he’s a dedicated automobile enthusiast, always ready to explore the latest in car technology and design. A self-confessed gadget lover, Ayushmann finds joy in testing new devices and sharing his findings with his audience. Instagram: ayushmannchawla

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This marks the first major pricing adjustment since the service launched as Twitter Blue in India in February 2023. Notably, while the Premium+ tier saw two price hikes over the past year, this is the first time prices across all tiers have been reduced.

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Revised pricing on web

Basic: ₹170/month or ₹1,700/year (down from ₹244/month or ₹2,591/year)

Premium: ₹427/month or ₹4,272/year (down from ₹650/month or ₹6,800/year)

Premium+: ₹2,570/month or ₹26,400/year (down from ₹3,470/month or ₹34,340/year)

On mobile, prices remain higher due to commissions charged by Google and Apple. For instance, the Premium tier now costs ₹470/month on mobile apps (down from ₹900/month), while Premium+ is priced at ₹3,000/month (previously ₹5,130). On iOS specifically, the Premium+ plan is listed at ₹5,000/month. Interestingly, the Basic tier remains at ₹170/month across both web and mobile.

What each tier offers

Basic: Includes limited premium features such as the ability to edit posts, longer video uploads, reply prioritisation, and post formatting.

Premium: Adds tools for creators like X Pro, analytics, reduced ads, blue checkmark, and higher usage limits on the Grok AI chatbot.

Premium+: Offers an ad-free experience, maximum reply boost, long-form article posting, and access to the real-time ‘Radar’ trends tool.

The price cut comes just a day after xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence venture, launched Grok 4, the latest version of its AI model. In March, xAI acquired X in an all-stock deal that valued the platform at $33 billion.

Despite Musk’s push to grow subscription revenue, in-app purchases from mobile platforms brought in only $16.5 million as of December 2024, according to data from Appfigures.

Earlier this month, X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down after a two-year tenure. The company continues to focus on subscriptions as part of its strategy to reduce reliance on advertising.