India’s telecom subscriber base surpassed 1.2 billion users in April, the second time it has crossed this milestone. This is according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The previous peak was in July 2017, when the subscriber base reached 1.21 billion.
Reliance Jio continued its growth momentum in the wireless segment, adding 26.8 lakh new subscribers in April. This takes its total subscriber base to 47.24 crore. Bharti Airtel also added new subscribers, gaining around 7.52 lakh users in April. This takes its total subscriber base to approximately 26.75 crore.
However, state-owned BSNL lost over 12 lakh subscribers in April. This is a significant setback for the company, which has been struggling to compete with private telcos. Vodafone Idea also lost subscribers, with a decrease of around 7.35 lakh users in April.
In the wireline segment, the number of subscribers increased to around 3.42 crore in April. Reliance Jio was the biggest gainer in this segment as well, adding around 3.6 lakh new customers.
BSNL’s net loss for the last fiscal year declined to ₹5,367 crore. This is an improvement from the previous fiscal year, when the company’s net loss was ₹8,161 crore. The decline in losses is attributed to factors such as reduced expenses and increased non-operating income.
BSNL’s operating revenue from the last fiscal year increased marginally to ₹19,343.6 crore. However, this fell short of the ₹20,000 crore target set by the central government. The company’s revenue from cellular services and the enterprise segment declined in the last fiscal year. Its expenses decreased by about 2.5% to ₹26,683 crore. However, the company’s employee cost increased by 4.4% to ₹8,034 crore.
BSNL recently floated a tender worth around ₹65,000 crore for the third phase of the BharatNet project. The company is facing stiff competition from private telcos, which are rolling out their own 4G services. Large private telcos like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have already launched their 5G networks across the country. This is also contributing to the growth in their subscriber base.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
