The telecom landscape in India continues to witness shifts in subscriber numbers, with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel maintaining their growth trajectory while Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) grapple with subscriber losses. According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the month of June 2023, the trend of subscriber additions and losses persists.
Wireless Subscribers Addition/Subtraction in June 2023:
- Reliance Jio added 2.27 million wireless subscribers.
- Bharti Airtel gained 1.4 million wireless subscribers.
- Vodafone Idea lost 1.2 million wireless users.
- BSNL lost 1.8 million wireless users.
At the end of June 2023, Reliance Jio held a market share of 38.35% in the wireless subscribers segment, securing the lead position. Bharti Airtel ranked second with a market share of 32.68%, followed by Vodafone Idea and BSNL with market shares of 20.08% and 8.71%, respectively.
Active Subscribers’ Scenario:
- Reliance Jio reported 414.49 million active wireless users, marking a growth of 2.34 million active users month-on-month (MoM).
- Bharti Airtel recorded 372.77 million active users, indicating a marginal growth of 0.11 million active users MoM.
- Vodafone Idea’s active user base dropped to 202.75 million, with a loss of 2.51 million active users MoM.
- BSNL’s active user count declined to 52.04 million, reflecting a loss of 0.74 million active users.
Vodafone Idea is on the verge of dipping below the 200 million mark for its active subscriber base. The ongoing subscriber loss for Vi has translated into gains for Airtel and Jio, solidifying their positions in the market.
Even in the wireline segment, the trend of Jio and Airtel adding subscribers while Vi and BSNL witnessing losses continues. Jio added 0.20 million wireline users, and Airtel gained 0.13 million users. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea and BSNL recorded losses of 0.01 million and 0.05 million wireline users, respectively.
The consistent subscriber dynamics in the Indian telecom industry call for Vi and BSNL to strategize and implement measures to curb losses and stabilize their subscriber base. By doing so, they can not only retain revenues but also work towards achieving improved performance metrics in the competitive market.
