India’s telecom market continued to expand in June. However, the pace of growth remained moderate, with Reliance Jio emerging as the biggest gainer in active mobile users.
At the same time, Bharti Airtel added the highest number of overall wireless subscribers, as per the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The figures underline the continuing competition between the country’s two largest telecom operators as they push to strengthen their subscriber base through network expansion and 5G services.
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Jio Tops Active User Additions While Airtel Leads Net Subscriber Gains
TRAI’s visitor location register (VLR) data, which measures subscribers actively using a network, showed Reliance Jio recorded the highest active user additions during June.
The trend suggests Jio continued to attract and retain users who regularly used its network, an important indicator of customer engagement beyond headline subscriber numbers.
Bharti Airtel, however, remained the biggest contributor to overall wireless subscriber growth during the month, adding around 2.99 million mobile subscribers.
Reliance Jio followed with 2.15 million additions. The gains helped offset continued losses at Vodafone Idea (Vi) and state-run BSNL.
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India’s Mobile Subscriber Base Continues to Grow
India’s mobile subscriber base rose to 1.282 billion in June from 1.277 billion a month earlier.
This also includes fixed wireless access (FWA) connections. The country’s total wireless subscriber base reached roughly 1.30 billion, highlighting steady demand for mobile connectivity despite slow growth in the last few months.
The home broadband segment also expanded during the month, with Jio and Airtel accounting for most new additions as demand for high-speed internet remained strong across households and businesses. TRAI data also showed continued growth in machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, with Airtel leading additions in that category.
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Focus of Competition on Quality Users
The June data highlights two different measures of success in India’s telecom market.
While Airtel continued to lead overall subscriber additions, Jio strengthened its position in active users, indicating stronger day-to-day engagement on its network.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea & BSNL lost subscribers, signalling the intense competition in India’s telecom sector.
As operators expand their 5G coverage and fixed wireless broadband services, active subscriber growth is an indicator of network performance and customer retention.
With 5G roll-outs speeding up & fixed wireless broadband gathering pace, future competition is likely to hinge less on headline subscriber additions and more on retaining active, high-value users who consistently use network services.
Samarjit Kaur is a journalist and communications professional covering technology & emerging digital trends. With a focus on clarity and context, she reports on developments shaping industries and governance. When not reporting, she chooses to plug-in and relax on her playlists and plan her next bucket-list trips!
